LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


Gl  FT    OF 


The  History  of  Education 


in 


West  Virginia 


Revised  Edition 


Prepared  under  the  direction  of  the 

State  Superintendent  of  Schools 


1907 


Charleston 

Tribune  Printing  Company 
1907 


Preface. 

In  that  splendid  address  delivered  at  Buffalo  only  the  day  before  his  as- 
sassination, President  McKinley  in  speaking  of  the  development  of  our 
country  said,  "Expositions  are  the  time-keepers  of  progress."  With  re- 
spect to  the  development  and  advancement  of  West  Virginia,  the  truth  of 
this  statement  has  been  realized  in  many  ways.  In  1876  there  was  distrib- 
uted at  the  Centennial  Exhibition  at  Philadelphia  a  book  entitled  "The  Re- 
sources of  West  Virginia,"  which  first  called  the  attention  of  the  world  to 
our  vast  mineral  wealth,  and  to  the  other  great  possibilities  within  our 
borders.  Then  in  1893  a  similar  work  called  "The  Mountain  State"  was 
prepared  for  the  World's  Fair  at  Chicago.  At  that  time  also  the  "Colum- 
bian History  of  Education  in  West  Virginia"  was  issued,  being  the  first 
printed  record  relating  to  our  educational  progress.  This  book  was  pre- 
pared by  State  Superintendent  B.  S.  Morgan  and  Mr.  J.  F.  Cork,  his  chief 
clerk,  and  was  an  excellent  presentation  of  what  had  been  accomplished 
up  to  that  time.  In  1889  Prof.  A.  R.  Whitehill,  of  the  West  Virginia  Uni- 
versity, prepared  an  educational  history  of  the  State  for  the  Bureau  of  Ed- 
ucation at  Washington,  but  it  was  not  published  until  1902,  at  which  time 
he  added  an  appendix  bringing  it  up  to  date  and  making  it  a  valuable  con- 
tribution to  the  literature  of  this  class.  In  1904  a  new  history  of  educa- 
tion was  prepared  at  this  Department  and  was  quite  liberally  .distributed 
at  St.  Louis,  and  now  this  revised  edition  goes  forth  as  an  indication  not 
only  of  what  has  been  done  in  the  past,  but  what  is  now  going,  on  in  con- 
nection with  our  educational  upbuilding.  So  the  great  Expositions  have 
been  to  us  time-keepers  of  our  educational  as  well  as  our  material  develop- 
ment and  progress,  and  this  present  sketch  is  an  outgrowth  of  a  desire  to 
indicate  to  the  world  at  the  Jamestown  Exposition  that  we  are  aiming  to 
have  our  educational  work  keep  at  least  within  hailing  distance  of  our 
wonderful  material  development. 

As  a  part  of  the  "old  Mother  State"  during  more  than  200  years  of  her 
history,  it  is  peculiarly  appropriate  that  West  Virginia  should  be  properly 
represented  at  the  Jamestown  Exposition,  and  she  gladly  joins  with  the 
other  states  of  the  Union  in  celebrating  the  event  that  made  it  possible  for 
this  fair  land  to  be  peopled  with  an  English-speaking  race.  As  indicating 
somewhat  of  the  educational  progress  of  this  part  of  the  Trans-Allegheny 
region,  this  History  is  issued.  It  consists  of  sketches  relating  to  the 
early  schools  in  this  section,  to  the  educational  progress  in  the  various 
counties,  towns,  and  cities,  .together  with  cuts  and  illustrations  of  some  of 
our  school  buildings  and  their  equipment.  Most  of  our  leading  towns  and 
cities  and  more  than  half  of  our  counties  are  represented.  Some  superin- 
tendents and  principals  failed  to  furnish  any  material  for  the  History, 
so  their  towns  are  not  represented.  Especial  attention  is  called  to  Mr. 
Lewis'  article  on  "Early  Education  in  West  Virginia."  Aside  from  the 


1 6287 1 


many  interesting  and  suggestive  features  of  this  article  that  list  of  old 
time  academies  established  long  before  the  Civil  War  is  a  very  valuable 
record.  It  will  be  noticed  that  in  most  cases  these  academies  fostered  a 
good  educational  sentiment  and  that  they  became  the  foundation  of  a  fu- 
ture institution  of  learning  of  advanced  grade. 

T  desire  to  thank  all  the  contributors  who  have  aided  in  this  work,  and 
I  believe  our  citizens  will  appreciate  very  highly  the  most  excellent  service 
they  have  rendered  in  thus  showing  what  our  schools  are  doing.  The 
modesty  of  some  of  these  efficient  workers  has  prevented  them  from  saying 
as  much  as  could  have  been  truthfully  said  of  the  excellent  schools  under 
their  supervision.  I  desire  also  to  recognize  my  indebtedness  to  Ex-State 
Superintendents  Hon.  Virgil  A.  Lewis  and  Hon.  B.  L.  Butcher,  and  to  Mr. 
M.  P.  Shawkey,  who  for  ten  years  was  connected  with  this  Department,  for 
their  excellent  articles  on  the  three  periods  of  our  educational  growth. 
Having  been  so  long  associated  with  our  school  work  they  are  able  to 
speak  intelligently  from  observation  and  practical  experience. 

Attention  is  called  to  the  sketches  relating  to  our  denominational 
schools,  and  to  the  educational  advancement  among  our  colored  people. 
Professor  Prillerman's  sketch  shows  that  the  colored  schools  of  the  State 
are  doing  well. 

It  is  hoped  that  these  sketches  will  serve  to  show  that  West  Virginia 
has  been  making  some  progress  in  her  educational  work,  and  it  is  be- 
lieved that,  with  the  foundation  now  laid,  the  next  few  years  will  wit- 
ness much  more  rapid  advancement. 

Very  respectfully, 


State  Superintendent  of  Schools. 
Charleston,  W.  Va., 

March  11,  1907. 


Department  ot  Free  Schools. 


THOS.   C.   MILLER    SUPERINTENDENT 

L.    L.   FRIEND    CHIEF  CLERK 

D.    E.    MILLER    ASSISTANT  CLERK 

JOHN     W.     COOK      STATISTICAL    CLERK 


EDUCATIONAL  INSTITUTIONS. 

West    Virginia    University Morgantown .  .  .  .D.   B.   Purinton,   President. 

State     Normal     School Huntington L.   .T.   Corbly,   Principal. 

Fairmont U.   S.   Fleming,  Principal. 

West  Liberty.  .  .  Lorain  Fortney,  Principal. 

Athens Isabel    Davenport,    Principal. 

Glenville John   C.   Shaw,  Principal. 

Shepherdstown..J.  G.  Knutti,  Principal. 

Prep.    Branch,    University Montgomery.  ••  .Jcsiah  Keely,  Principal. 

Keyser T.   W.  Haught,   Principal. 

Colored    Institute     Institute J.  McHenry  Joues,  President. 

Bluefield R.  P.  Sims,  Principal. 

Reform     School     Pruntytown .  . .  .  D.  S.  Hammond,  Superintendent. 

Schools  for  the  Deaf  and  the  Blind.  .Romney J.  T.  Rucker,  Principal. 

Industrial  Home  for  Girls    .  ... Salem..  ..Hilda  M.   Dungan,   Supt. 


STATE   'BOARD    OF    EXAMINERS. 

Term  expires  Sept.  1,   1907 

U.    S.   FLEMING,   President,  Fairmont 

R.  A.  ARMSTRONG,  Secretary,  Morgantown 

C.   E.   CARRIGAN,  Moundsville 

JOSIAH  KEELY,  Montgomery 

C.  R.  MURRAY,  Williamson 


LIST  OF  STATE  SUPERINTENDENTS 

1863-1869  . .  .' William   R.   White. 

1869-1870  ( Henry    A.    Zlegler. 

1870-1871  i A.    D.    Williams. 

lt,U-1872,  Dec.     1... Charles   S.   Lewis. 

1873,  Jan.  1-March  4    W.    K.    Pendleton. 

1873-1877 B.   W.   Byrne. 

1877-1881  . , W.    K.    Pendleton. 

1881-1885  B.    L.    Butcher. 

1885-1893 B.   g.   Morgan. 

1893-1897  Virgil   A.    Lewis. 

1897-1901  J.    R.    Trotter. 

1901-  .  .Thos.    C.   Miller. 


WEST   VIRGINIA   EDUCATIONAL   ASSOCIATION 
Officers  for  1906  7 

Robt.  A.  Armstrong,  Morgantown,   President. 

A.  J.  Wilkinson,  Grafton,   Secretary. 

Morris  P.  Shawkey,  Charleston,  Treasurer. 

Vice-Presidents :  C.  W.  Fretz,  J.  G.  Knutti,  W.  E.  Scott,  C.  W.  Boetticher  and 
J.  M.  Skinner. 

Program  Committee  :     Robt.  A.  Armstrong,  W.   M.  Foulk,  C.   W.  Boetticher. 

School  Improvement  League :  L.  W.  Burns,  President,  Ethel  Carle,  Secretary, 
Thos.  C.  Miller,  Waitman  Barbe,  Wright  Denny,  John  A.  Bock  and  W.  M.  Foulk. 
Executive  Committee. 


BOARDS  OF  REGENTS  OF  STATE  EDUCATIONAL  INSTITU- 
TIONS 


INSTITI"!  IONS 

NAMES  OK  KK<;KJSTS 

ADDRESS 

COUNTY 

TERM 
EXPIRES 

University  

Normal  Schools. 

Montgomery 
Preparatory 
Branch  

Keyser  Prepara- 
tory Branch  .  . 

West    Virginia 
Colored  Insti- 
tute    

Bluefleld   Insti- 
tute   

Schools  for  Deaf 
and  Blind  

Reform  School 
for  Boys  

West  Virginia 
Industrial 
Home  forGirls 

T.  Perry  Jacobs  
Charles  M.  Babb  
James  R.  Trotter  
John  B  Fin  ley 

N.Martinsville... 
Falls  
Buckhannon  
Parkers  burg  
Wheeling  
Morgantown  
Charleston  
Huntington  
Lewisburg  

Huntington  
Graf  ton  

Wetzel  
Grant  
Upshur  . 

May  1,  1909 
May  1,  1907 
May  ,  1907 
May  ,  1907 
May  1907 
May  1909 
May  1909 
May  1909 
May  1909 

June  1907 
June  1907 
June  1907 
June  1909 
June  1909 
June  ,  1909 
orticio. 

May  31,  1909 
May  31,  1909 
May  31,  1909 
May  31.  1909 
May  31,  1907 
May  31,  1907 
officio. 

June  1,  1909 
June  1,  1909 
June  1,  1909 
June  J,  1909 
June  1,  1909 
officio. 

June  1,  1909 
June  1,  1909 
June  1,  190» 
June  1,  1909 
June  1,  1909 
offlcio. 

May  31,  1907 
May  31.  1907 
May  31,  1907 
May  31,  1909 
May  31,  1909 
May  31,  1909 
May  31,  1911 
May  31,  1911 
May  31,  1911 

May  31,  1906 
May  31,  1907 
May  31,  1908 
May  81,  1909 
May  31,  1910 

Mar.  31,  1909 
Mar.  31,  1909 
Mar.  31,1909 
Mar.  31,  1911 
Mar.  31.  1907 
Mar.  31,  1907 

Wood  
Ohio  
Monongalia  . 
Kanawha  .  .  . 
Cabell  
Green  brier  .. 

Oabell 

F.  P.  McNeil  
K.    M  .  Grant  
l>.   0.  Gal  Inner  
Dr.  C.   E.   Haworth.... 
L.  J.  Williams  

S.  H  •  Bowman  
Ira  K.  Robinson  
E.  Li.  Dunn  
R  S  Carr 

Taylor  
Summers  — 
Kanawha  — 
Cabell  
Marion  
Member  ex- 

Cabell  
Kanawha  
Kanawha  — 

Mineral  
Grant  
Morgan  
Preston  
Preston  
Pendleton  .  .. 
Member  ex- 
Marion  
McDowell.... 
Brooke  
Wirt 

Bargers  Springs. 
Charleston  
Huntington  
Fairmont  

Klliott  Northcott  
M.I'.    Lough  
The  State  Supt  

Charleston  

Huntington..  
Charleston  
Charleston  

Keyser  
Petersburg  
Berkeley  Springs 
Kingwood  
Fellowsville  
Upper  Tract  
Charleston  

Fairmont  
Keystone  . 

Dr.C.  K     Haworth.... 
Thus.  O.  Miller  
I).  C.  Gtilluher  

Thomas  H.  Davis  
Arch  J.  Welton  
T.  H.  B.  Dawsofl.   - 
P.  J.  Crogan     

Win.  M.  Watson  
James  Sites  
The  State  Supt  

B.  L.  Butcher  

E.  Howard  Harper  
C.  B  Scott  

Bethany  
Elizabeth  
Charleston  
Charleston  

Ceredo  . 

Joseph  Gray 

J  .  M  .  Haz.le  wood  
The  State  Supt 

Kanawha.:  .  .  . 
Member  ex- 
Wayne  
Mercer 

T.  T.  McDougal  
Wm  Hicks  . 

Bluefleld  
Charleston  
Parkersburg  
Bluefleld  
Charleston  

West  Union 

B.  S.  Morgan  .  
J.  R.  Jefferson  
Edwin  Mann. 

Kauawha  — 
Wood  
Mercer  
Member  ex- 

Dodd  ridge  .  .. 
Preston  
Ohio  
Morgan     ... 
Nicholas  
Mason  
Wood  

The  State  Supt 

F  H.  Shannon. 

J.  Slidell  Brown 

Kingwood  
Wheeling  
Berkeley  Springs 
Summersville  ..  . 
Mason  
Parkersburg  
Clarksburg  
Charleston  

Parkersburg  
Buckhannon  .... 
Wheeling  
St.  Marys  
Kingwood..  

Wheeling  
Wheeling  
Wheeling 

Dr.  G.  A.  Aschman  — 
S.  S.  Buzzerd  

D.  S.  Pettigrew 

Columbus  Sehon  
W.  M.  Straus  
H  W  Harmer 

Harrison  
Kanawha  — 

Wood  
Upshur.   
Ohio  
Pleasants  
Preston  

Henry  Lewis  
J.  L.  Buckley. 

O.  J.  Poe  
Ralph  McCoy  
Orin  O.  Ogden  
Jas.  Flynn  

Dr.  Harriet  B.  Jones. 
John  Oummings  
Dr.  O.  B.  Graham  
Miss  M.  S.  McWhorter 
Miss  F.  L.  Henshaw.  .. 
Henry  S.  Wilson  

Ohio  .  . 

Ohio  
Ohio  .. 

Charleston  
Martinsburg  
Parkersburg  

Kanawha  — 
Berkeley  
Wood  

COUNTY  SUPERINTENDENTS  ELECT,  TERM  BEGINNING  JULY  1, 1907 

COUNTIES.  NAME    SUPT.  ADDRESS. 

Barbour     A.    F.    Shroyer Nicklow. 

Berkelej     ...Willis   F.   Evans Martinsburg. 

Boone    , W.  W.  Hall Madison. 

Braxton M.    W.    Skiduiore Newville. 

Brooke *Geo.    W.    Hogg Follansbee. 

Cabell *Ii-a    F.    llatfleld Huntington. 

Calhoun    • C.   J.   Gainer Arnoldsburg. 

Clay    B.    F.    Murphy Clay. 

Doddridge     Howard   M.    Gaskins Flint. 

Fayette    A.    G.    Sevy Oak  Hill. 

Gilmer    *  Worthy    Davis    Normantown. 

Grant    Elmer  II.  Frye   Lahmansville. 

Greenbrier W.    F.    Richardson ' Blue   Sulphur    Springs. 

Hampshire     *E-   W.    Noland    Levels. 

Hancock     *T.   M.  Cochran    New   Cumberland. 

Hardy     *L.  S.  Ilalternian Lost  River. 

Harrison     Cyrus    E.    Webb Bridgeport. 

Jackson    E.  S.  Rhodes Ripley. 

Jefferson E.  D.  Turner Charles  Town. 

Kanawha    M.    P.    Shawkey    Charleston. 

Lewis    Loyd    G.    Losh Westou. 

Lincoln     J.   W.   Pauley    Sod. 

Logan    Albert   Dingess    Halcyon. 

Marion    ""Carter  L.  Faust   Fairmont. 

Marshall     Albert   S.   Winter   „ Moundsvillo. 

Mason     *C.  A.  Green Ashton. 

Mercer    *J.   H.   Gadd    Princeton. 

Mineral     *Geo.   S.  Arnold   Burlington. 

Mingo   Lindsey   Baker    Dingess. 

Monongalia    *  Jesse  Henry    t Morgautown. 

Monroe Chas.  A.  Keadle Pickaway. 

Morgan     P.   \V.   McCoy Berkeley    Springs. 

McDowell W.    A.    Lee Eckman. 

Nicholas    Harrison     Groves Summersville. 

Ohio     J.    V.    Giffln Elm    Grove. 

Pendleton    Flick    Warner Franklin. 

Pleasants    A.   L.   Baker Schultz. 

Pocahontas    *  J.  B.  Grimes Lobelia. 

Preston    *  A.  W.  Carrico Rowlesburg. 

Putnam    II.   A.    Stover Culloden. 

Raleigh     W.  O.  McGinnis Beckley. 

Randolph    *  W.  J.  Long Valley  Bend. 

Ritchie    *L.  H.  Hayhurst Pullman. 

Roane   *N.  L.   Chancey Reedy. 

Summers    J.  E.  Keadle WTarf ord. 

Taylor    *Dellet    Newlon Simpson. 

Tucker    H.  S.  Shafer Parsons. 

Tyler    A.    E.    Doak Middlebourne. 

Upshur    J.  H.   Ashworth Buckhannon. 

Wayne    *L.  G.  Sansom Wayne. 

Webster    i Geo.    R.    Morton    Lanes  Bottom. 

Wetzel *S.   L.   Long Littleton. 

Wirt    J.    F.    Haverty Elizabeth. 

Wood C.  L.  McVey   Parkersburg. 

Wyoming    W.    G.    Sparks    Pinevllle. 


•Re-elected. 


HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

lation  that  is  dazzling. When  we  compare  a  modern  Pullman  or  electric  car 
with  former  modes  of  travel  we  have  positive  proof  that  the  world 
moves.  So  we  might  multiply  illustrations,  but  they  are  needless.  The 
modern  methods  of  education,  when  compared  with  those  of  early  years 
in  this  State  show  as  much  change  in  lines  of  improvement  as  there  is  in 
our  physical  surroundings.  To  emphasize  this  idea  more  fully  we  have  in- 
cluded in  this  sketch  of  educational  progress  a  number  of  cuts  and  pic- 
tures of  school  buildings  recently  erected  to  which  we  point  with 
pride  as  indicating  some  of  our  advancement.  The  step  from  the  little  log 
schoolhouse  on  the  hillside,  or  the  uninviting  frame  building  on  a  back 
street  in  the  town,  stands  in  marked  contrast  to  the  splendid  school 
buildings  in  different  parts  of  the  State.  The  conveniences  and  surround- 
ings of  these  school  buildings  also  make  a  comparison  equally  as  great  as 
they  do  in  general  architecture. 

The  tables  of  comparative  statistics  found  in  the  next  few  pages 
tell  the  story  of  our  educational  growth  more  graphically  than  mere  words 
can  picture  it,  so  we  leave  it  to  them  to  set  forth  these  important  facts. 

EXPENDITURES  FOR  SCHOOL  PURPOSES 
1906 

For  the  school  year  1905-06,  ending  June  SO,  this  year,  West  Virginia  ex- 
pended for  the  support  of  her  Public  Schools  alone  the  sum  of  $2,970,- 
455.11. 

This  sum  was  made  up  of  the  two 'funds  as  follows: 

The   General    School    Fund    .$    801,280 . 95 

District,    town   and    city    levies    2,169,174 . 16 


Total     $2,970,455  11 

The  above  was  expended  as  follows : 

Teachers'    Salaries    $1,954,851  99 

Building    Fund     1,015,603  12 


Total     $2,970,455  11 

To  the  above  may  very  properly  be  added  the  Legislative  appropriations 
for  the  educational  institutions  of  the  State  as  follows: 

West   Virginia   University    $  131,987  50 

Normal    Schools     .". 120,048  00 

Montgomery    Preparatory    School    7,800  00 

Keyser    Preparatory    School    15,265  00 

School  for  the  Deaf,  Dumb  and   Blind    53,493  95 

Industrial    School   for    Girls    24,450  00 

West  Virginia  Reform  School,    (half  appropriation)    37,800  00 

Storer     College 2,500  00 

Instruction  for  Colored  Teachers 2,000  00 

Bluefield   Colored   Institute    16,425  00 

West  Virginia  Colored   Institute    28,658  54 

West  Virginia  Colored  Orphans  Home    1,500  00 


Total     $    441,928  57 

Making  a  grand  total  for  Educational  purposes  of   $3,412,383  68 

In  order  that  some  of  the  main  features  embraced  in  this  Report  may 


WEST  VIRGINIA  3 

appear  at  a  glance,  I  give  in  the  table  below  a  summary  of  the  educa- 
tional statistics  for  the  year  ending  June  30th,  1906.  Then  there  follow  in 
the  various  tables  some  comparative  statistics  that  will  prove  interesting 
because  they  indicate  a  degree  of  progress  that  is  encouraging.  These 
tables  have  been  carefully  compiled,  and  the  summaries  arranged  in  con- 
venient form  for  reference. 

ENUMERATION    AND    ENROLLMENT 

For  the  year  1906  the  enumeration  reported  was  342,060,  and  the  en- 
rollment 255,160,  or  not  quite  seventy-five  per  cent,  of  the  enumeration. 
The  average  attendance  was  173,123,  or  sixty-eight  per  cent,  of  the  enroll- 
ment. 

The  following  general  Summary  of  School  Statistics  for  the  year  may 
not  be  out  of  place  here: 

Number   of   counties 55 

Number   of   magisterial   districts    342 

Number   of   independent    districts    51 

Number   of   school   houses    6,342 

Number  of  teachers   employed    7,830 

Total  amount  disbursements  of  teachers'  fund    $1,954,851  99 

Total  amount  disbursements  of  building  fund   1,015,603  12- 

Total    amount    for    state    educational    institutions    and    other    educa- 
tional   expenditures     441,928  57 

Total    school    expenditures 3,412,383  68 

Value   of   all   public   school   property    6,528,009  50 

Average  monthly  salary  for  teachers  in  all  grades   36  70 

Number  of  youth  of  school  age   (enumeration)    342,060 

Enrollment   in   schools    255,160 

Average    attendance 173,123 

Per  cent,  of  attendance  based  on  enumeration   51 

Per  cent,  of  attendance  based  on  enrollment 68 

Per  cent,  of  enrollment  based  on  enumeration    75 

€ost  of  education  per  capita  based  on  enumeration   8  91 

Cost  of  education  per  capita  based  on  enrollment 12  02 

Cost  of  Education  per  capita  based  on  attendance    17  41 

Number  of  high  schools   46 

Number   of  graded   schools    785 

Total   number    of   schools    7,118 

Average  length  of  term  in  days    125 

Average  age  of  pupils  in  all  grades,  years   11 

Number  of  books  in  district  school   libraries    126,503 

Interesting  comparative  statistics  for  the  last  five  years  are  as  follows: 

Enumeration 

C1902—  315,810 

1903—  319,729 

Enumeration    of    School    Youth •{  1904 —  326,240 

L1906—  342^060 
Enrollment. 

f!902—  236,015 

|  1903—  240,718 

Enrollment    of     School     Youth 1 1904 244,040 

I  1905—  247',  505 

11906—  255,160 


HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 


Average  Daily  Attendance 

f  1902— 
1903— 

Average  Attendance   of  School   Youth «  1904 — 

1905 — 
1 1906— 
dumber  of  Teachers  Classified  by  Race 

T1902— 
J  1903— 

White    Teachers     -f  1904— 

I  1905 — 
11906— 


Colored    Teachers 


Both    White    and    Colored    Teachers 


f  1902— 
1903 — 
•{  1904— 
I  1905 — 
(.1906 — 

f!902— 
1903— 

J  1904— 
1905— 

I  1906— 


f  1902— 
1903— 

Average   Length   of   Term    4  1904 — 

1905— 
1 1906— 
Number  of  Schools  Classified  by  Race 

f  1902— 
1903— 

Number    of    White    Schools ^  1904 — 

1905— 
I  1906— 


Number    of    Colored    Schools 


f  1902— 
I  1903— 
J  19Q4 — 

1905— 
L1906 — 

1902— 
1903— 
1904— 
1905— 
1906 — 
Number  of  School  Houses  in  West  Virginia. 

fl902— 
|  1903— 

Frame     Houses •{  1904 — • 

I  1905 — 
I  1906 — 


Both    White    and    Colored    Schools 


Brick    Houses 


Log    Houses     .  . 


Total  all  Kinds  of  Houses 


Amount  of  l-'uinls  Expended 


f 1902 — 
|  1803— 
{  1904— 
1905— 
L1906— 

f  1902— 
(  1903— 
J  1904— 
1905 — 
L 1906— 

f  1902— 
1903— 

^  1904— 
1905— 

I  1906— 


152,174 
155,436 
158,264 
163,068 
173,723 

7,028 
7,071 
7,298 
7,334 
7,520 

278 
291 
299 
302 
310 

7,306 
7,362 
7,597 
7,636 
7,830 


118 
123 
123 
123 
125 


Days 


6,001 
6,123 
6,235 
6,595 
6,852 

207 
224 
235 
253 
266 

6,208 
6,347 
6,470 
6,848 
7,118 

5,598 
5,704 
5,918 
5,920 
5,983 

186 
188 
198 
20fl 
i'32 

237 
217 

j  s:i 

li!  7 
6,021' 


8,342 


Ain<-unt    of    Teachers'    Fund 


f  1902— $1,484,7  »::  7:; 

I  1903—  1,571,!»:*:;  «i'.i 

^  1904 —  1,675,1257  17 

I  1905—  1,741, 5JK  i  75 

11906—  1,954,851  H'J 


WEST  VIBGINIA  5 

C1902— $  712,389  72 

1903—  821,601  67 

Amount  of  Building  Fund  4  1904—  913,946  11 

1905—  1,002,986  70 

[1906—  1,015,603  12 

f  1902— $2,197,133  45 

1903—  2,393,555  36 

Total   Cost  of   Education    <{  1904 —  2,589,203  28 

1905—  2,744,577  45 

[1906—  2,970,455  11 
Amount    of    Salary    Paid    Teachers 

f  1902— $1,325,461  04 

1903—  1,390,326  41 

Amount  Paid  White  Teachers -{  1904—  1,495,508  11 

1905—  1,560,343  04 

[1906—  1,723,871  72 

f!902— $  55,789  18 

1903—  67,280  15 

Amount  paid  Colored  Teachers  4.  1904 —  72,584  24 

1905—  73,112  87 

[1906 —        71,773  98 

f  1902— $1,381,250  22 

1903—  1,457,606  58 

Amount   Paid   Both   White   and   Colored   Teachers ' «{ 1904—  1,568,092  35 

1905—  1,633,455  91 

[1906—  1,795,645  70 
Cost  of  Education 

fl902—              $  6  6» 

1903—                  7  38 

Based  on  Enumeration    4,  1904 —                 7  94 

1905—                  8  40 

[1906—                  8  91 

f!902—  $  8  91 

1903—  9  98 

Based  on  Enrollment  •....<{  1904 —  10  61 

1905—  11  51 

[1906 —       12  02 

f!902—      $14  18 

1903—   .    14  90 

Based  on  Average  Daily  Attendance    ^  1904 —               16  23 

I  1905—                17  94 

[1906—                17  41 


HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 


COMPARATIVE  SCHOOL   STATISTICS 


NUMBER  OF  SCHOOL   HOUSES 

NUMBER  OF  SCHOOLS 

Year              j  Frame 

• 

Stone 

Brick 

Log 

Whole 
No. 

High 

Graded 

Com- 
mon 

Total 

1865 

133 
412 
702 
1,306 
1,618 
2,113 
2,059 
2.216 
2,612 
2.880 
2,959 
3.137 
3.216 
3.297 
3.479 
3,667 
3,704 
3.839 
3,945 
,097 
,159 
.260 
,485 
,567 
.655 
,814 
.  KH9 

5,004 
5,192 
5.302 
5.389 
5,  475 
6]  534 
5.678 
5,688 
5.916 
5,995 
6,021 
6,112 
6.200 
6.278 
6,342 

5 

39 

387 
935 
1,112 

2,  153 
2,441 
2,272 
2,497 
2.785 
2,936 
3,148 
3,269 
3,320 
3,419 
8,612 
3,680 
3,796 
3,920 
3,986 
4,120 
8,918 
4,324 
4,484 
4,578 
4,721 
4,784 
4,862 
5,005 
5.099 
5,  175 
5,331 
5,425 
5,607 
5,593 
6,380 
5,188 
5,»>4 
6,858 
5,686 

6,042 

8,287 

431 
935 
1,148 
1,758 
8,198 
2,516 
2,323 
2,546 
2,857 
3,021 

3^343 
3,390 
3,514 
3,725 
3,811 
3,912 
4,028 
4,116 
4.254 
4,078 
4,437 
4,603- 
4,819 
4,868 
4.784 
5,02ft 
5,  167 
5,290 
5,387 
5,595 
5,617 
5.  776 
5.940 
5,906 
8.068 
(1,156 
6,208 
t;.:$49 
6.470 
6.848 
7,118 

1866 

1867        ...                           342 

2 

7 
10 
17 
10 
9 
10 
9 
10 
11 
7 
11 

6 

8 

26 
51 
68 
58 
63 
74 
73 
72 
83 
79 
84 
89 
90 
93 
94 
98 
110 
113 
128 
114 
122 
116 
124 
127 
124 
140 
140 
140 
140 
148 
150 
172 
152 
184 
176 
186 
188 
198 
206 
232 

332 
505 

614 
904 

859 
843 
.097 
,C09 

!284 
,296 
,292 
.342 
,316 
.:?44 
[378 
.329 
,336 
212 
J214 
,181 
.152 
.021 
007 
926 
836 

706 
643 
577 
486 
463 
408 
345 
309 
237 
217 
183 
152 
127 

2 

1 
3 
3 
2 

2 
8 
5 
5 
10 
8 
8 
11 
10 
6 
7 
13 
15 
19 
25 
17 
20 
14 
17 
18 
20 
20 
22 
27 
38 
37 
39 
40 
42 
42 
43 
4:. 
46 

26 
20 
38 
74 
48 
64 
71 
85 

67 
65 
82 
105 
103 
93 
79 
124 
125 
117 
us 

100 
215 
130 
161 
150 
145 
173 
192 
244 
180 
142 
289 
489 
813 
262 
308 
621 
613 
785 
761 

1868                                        653 

1869  ;        936 

1870                                     1,124 

1871  1.127 

1872                           ..        1,290 

1873                                     1  412 

1874                                       1.540 

J.630 

lsTV>                                     1,753 

1877                                     1  829 

1878                     ....            l.'.tua 

1H79                                     2  035 

1880....                                2.142 

1881                                     2  2HO 

1882  2.3H2 
1883                                   "  ."inn 

1884...                                2,648 

1885                           ....      2  sin 

1886                                     2  933 

1887  3  K)2 



1888                                  :>  :.".»<i 

1889....  :i.:,ln 
1890  .  .                             :;  iMi 

1891   3.849 
1892          .                            4  022 

1893  4.2M 

1894                     .         .        4  45(5 

]>'.'">                                     4  606 

4,750 
1S!»7                                         4  <(4!t 



.-,  U.V.I 

1899  
1900   5.387 
1901                                     5,510 

I'.t'i-j  
1903           5  ',(>', 

r.'oi  n.si!) 

1905     5  920 

1906  5983 

WEST  VIRGINIA 


ENUMERATION,    ENROLLMENT,    AND     AVERAGE    DAILY 
ATTENDANCE    OF    PUPILS,    BY    YEARS 


YEAR 

Enumeration 

Enrollment 

Average  Daily 
Attendance 

M 
* 

"3 

Females 

"o 

H 

•y; 
9 

r. 
% 

Females 

1 
g 

O3 

_i 

"5 
% 

Females- 

1 

1865  .. 

84,418 
118,617 
115,340 
127.861 
152,  3H9 
157,788 
162,337 
163,916 
171.793 
170,  107 
179,805 
184,760 
192,606 
201,237 
206,  123 
210,113 
213,191 
216,605 
221,517 
228,185 
236,  145 
242,752 
249.177 
256,360 
258,934 
266,  326 
276,332 
276,452 
279,586 
282,770 
289,274 
296,517 
300,529 
302,354 
306.154 
307,581 
312,124 
315.  81( 
319,729 
326.240 
332.  862 
342,060 

8.102 
16,942 
18,728 
28,700 
•  30,439 
48,056 
41,586 
46,745 
38,886 
61,113 
55,119 
67,428 
68.774 
0,694 
3,507 
7,192 
8,062 
83,  199 
85,050 
87,834 
87,551 
92,432 
95,089 
100,122 
99,062 
101.308 
103,307 
104,563 
109.604 
115,446 
114.747 
113,558 
116,581 
124,528 
120.284 
120.436 
121,343 
121,904 
124,381 
125,721 
127,556 
i  131.079 

7,870 
14,805 
16,199 
25,024 
28,589 
39,274 
35,413 
39,020 
42,214 
49,243 
44,661 
56,057 
56.  558 
59,490 
63,019 
65,658 
66,941 
72,345 
75,556 
78,  432 
78,869 
79,825 
84,418 
89,  129 
88,466 
91,756 
95,069 
96,226 
98,613 
103,369 
102,961 
102.134 
104,845 
112.407 
110,792 
111,907 
113,849 
114,111 
116,337 
118.319 
119,949 
124,081 

15.972 
31,747 
34,927 
53,774 
59,028 
87,330 
76,999 
85,765 
81,100 
110,356 
117.845 
123,485 
125,332 
130,184 
136,526 
142,850 
145,003 
155,544 
160,606 
166,266 
KK5,  520 
172.  257 
179,507 
189,251 
187,258 
193,064 
198,376 
200,  789 
208,217 
218,815 
217,708 
215,665 
221,436 
236,935 
231,076 
232,343 
235,191 
236,015 
244,718 
244,040 
247,505 
255,160 

3,845 

"16  ,'692 
16//31 
19,811 
30,254 
28,758 
30,661 
33,381 
37,240 
41,790 
43,082 
45,242 
47,476 
49,597 
49,599 
49,271 
51,189 
50,705 
52,971 
54,753 
55,375 
57,815 
63,492 
63,102 
63,830 
64,441 
67,117 
71,075 
71,342 
73,685 
74,  179 
75,552 
80,084 
75,989 
78,387 
77,376 
78,307 
80.880 
82,024 
83,427 
89,103 

3,916 

"9,'  467 
13,640 
16,873 
24,829 
2&,578 
25,656 
27,653 
31,057 
33,510 
29,196 
38,227 
38,508 
40.671 
42,105 
41,995 
45,463 
44.663 
46,254 
51,151 
47,837 
50,478 
58,528 
56,888 
57,890 
59,546 
60,927 
63,350 
64,039 
66,800 
66.902 
68,925 
75,65(1 
69,260 
72,867 
72,641 
73,867 
74,55€ 
76,24C 
79,641 
84,62( 

7,761 
13,037 
20,288 
30,566 
36,684 
55,083 
51,336 
56,317 
61,244 
68,297 
75,800 
72,278 
83,489 
86,768 
90,268 
91,604 
91,265 
v    96,643 
95,368 
99,225 
105,902- 
103,214 
108,293 
122.020 
119,990 
121,700 
123,987 
128,044 
134.425 
135,381 
140,485 
141,081 
144,477 
i  158,527 
1  145,249 
151,254 
150,017 
i  152,174 
155,436 
158,264 
163,068 
173,723 

1866 

"66,'46i 
80,265 
79,199 
83,090 
83,672 
87,567 
91,259 
93,343 
96,049 
100,281 
118,124 
107.457 
110,356 
111,798 
112,715 
115,139 
119.1130 
122,741 
126,668 
128,581 
133,910 
133,545 
137,634 
140,283 
K3,739 
146,147 
148,271 
151,504 
155.  105 
156,824 
157.345 
158,809 
159,380 
161,463 
162,646 
165,505 
169,  124 
171,730 
177,284 

1867 

1868 

61,190 
72,  104 
78,589 
79,247 
80,244 
84,226 
78,848 
86,462 
88,711 
92.325 
83,113 
98,666 
99,757 
101,393 
103,890 
106,378 
109,055 
113.404 
118.089 
119,597 
123,341 
125,389 
128,692 
131,049 
132,713 
133,439 
134,499 
137,720 
141,411 
143,505 
145,009 
147,345 
148,201 
150,  661 
153,164 
154,224 
157,116 
161,132 
164.776 

1869  
1870  
1871  

1872     
1873  

1874  
1875  
1876     
1877  
1878  
1879  
1880 

1881  
1882 

1883...:  
1884  

1885  
1886  
1887  
1888  '.'.. 
1889 

1890... 
1891  .  .  . 

1892  
1893 

1894  
1895 

1896 

1897 

1898  

1899 

1900  
1901  
1902  

IWB.... 

1904  
1905... 
1906  

HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 


NUMBER  OF  TEACHERS,  AVERAGE  LENGTH  OF  TERM, 

TOTAL  TEACHERS1  SALARIES,  AND  AVERAGE 

MONTHLY  SALARIES  BY  YEARS 


Total  Number  Teachers 
Employed 

Avg.  Length 
of  School  Term 
in  Months 

Amount  Paid 
for  Teachers 

Salaries 

Avg.  Monthly 
Salaries  of 
Teachers 

03 
32 

9 

* 
TJ 

1 

"3 

I 

1865 

171 
526 
818 
1,290 
1,680 
1,764 
1  '951 
2,095 
3,443 
2,541 
2,677 
8J797 
2,818 
2,822 
3,142 
3J04 
3,979 
3,045 
2,961 
3,036 
3,145 
3,240 
3,357 
3,380 
3,444 
3,483 
3,461 
3,463 
3,459 
8,585 
3,705 
3,828 
3,924 
4,096 
1,094 
4,095 
4,018 
3,972 
3,854 
3,720 
3,793 
3,852 

216 

382 
404 
.520 
603 
641 
517 
550 
639 
801 
784 
896 
971 
925 
989 
1,030 
1,208 
1.315 
1,494 
1,607 
1,666 
1.685 
1,732 
1,858 
1.897 
2,008 
2,139 
2,284 
2,478 
2,530 
2,534 
2,626 
2,698 
2,712 
2,787 
2,972 
3,215 
3,334 
3,608 
3,877 
3,843 
3,978 

387 
973 
1,222 
1,810 
2,283 
2,405 
2.488 
2,645 
3,082 
3,342 
3,461 
3,693 
3,789 
3,747 
,131 
,134 
,287 
,360 
,455 
,643 
4,811 
4,925 
5,089 
5,238 
5,341 
5,491 
5.600 
5,747 
5,937 
6,115 
6,299 
6,454 
6,652 
6,808 
6.881 
7,067 
7,233 
7,306 
7,362 
7,597 
7,636 
7,830 

2.70 
3.12 
3.00 
3.50 
3.55 
4.12 
3.84 
4.04 
3.86 
4.12 
4.20 
4.32 
4.13 
4.38 
4.34 
4.50 
4.45 
4.5U 
4.43 
4.55 
4.34 
4,64 
4.95 
5.10 
4.80 
4.85 
4.95 
5.59 
4.90 
5.00 
5.00 
5.55 
5.65 
5.60 
5.40 
5.30 
5.80 
5.90 
6.15 
6.15 
6.15 
8.86 

$.       47,006  00 
90,203  00 
140,465  00 
2SS.H90  00 
^77,131  00 
2-J0.753  00 
328.347  00 
376,982  00 
402.418  00 
480,400  00 
541,358  00 
538,397  00 
:,:;<t,  273  00 
501,704  00 
504,096  00 
522,  483  00 
539.647  00 
50S.509  00 
603,556  00 
641.575  00 
667,  &52  00 
674,505  00 
707,58!*  00 
580,742  94 
805.429  40 
782,961  51 
834,879  89 
885.731  39 
928.441  01 
975,766  76 
997,703  47 
.112,51255 
,152,878  99 
,149,598  92 
,179,851  30 
,213,490  C.S 
,275,920  97 
,381,250  22 
.  457,  606  56 
,568,092  35 
,083.455  91 
,795,645  70 

31  44 
3600 
37  66 
34  11 
34  25 
33  50 
31  01 
31  46 
32  62 
32  90 
31  52 
31  86 
28  97 
26  64 
28  19 
28  22 
28  77 
3022 
30  39 
31  70 
30  71 
'    31  52 
33  00 
31  38 
31  20 
31  54 
3226 
3363 
34  10 
34  70 
35  87 
31  66 
31  33 
31  74 
32  39 
30  41 
3204 
32  99 
33  56 
34  58 
36  70 

1866     

1867 

1868  

1869 

1870... 

1871                   

1872 

1873                                  

1874 

1875  ....              

1876 

1877     

1878 

1879  

1880 

1881 

1882          

1883 

1884        

1885 

1886      

1887 

1888    

1889 

1890 

1891 

1892... 

1893 

1894 

1895      

1896 

1897     .... 

1898 

1899 

1900 

1901 

1902  . 

1903 

1904 

1905  

1906  

H 


WEST  VIRGINIA 


AVERAGE  LOCAL  LEVY  FOR  TEACHERS'  AND  FOR  BUILD- 
ING FUND,  BY  YEARS 


YEAR 

Building 

Teachers' 

3 

I 

-1866   35  counties 

52 

1867.  not  given  .                                   

1868    not  given                                                   

3869    48  counties 

31 

27 

58 

1870   45  counties                                                  ..             .... 

28.67 

30.06 

58  73 

27.39 

29.90 

57.29 

1872                                                

22.69 

28.42 

51.11 

1873 

23.38 

34.01 

57  39 

1874  ...                                                 
1875 

19.17 
21.50 

29.18 
29.30 

48.35 
50  80 

1876                                                    

19.90 

29.70 

49.60 

1878  ..                                                                                    
1879                                                                                                

14.30 
15.58 

26.20 
24.09 

40.50 
39.67 

1880 

19.30 

25.20 

44  50 

1881                                                                       .                 

19.75 

28.25 

48 

1882 

22 

38 

60 

-i  CttQ 

19 

27 

46 

1884 

19 

27 

46 

21 

33 

54 

1886  
1887                 .              

21 

22 

35.50 
26 

56.50 
48 

1888                                                                       

23 

26 

49 

1889          .                                                             

24.13 

25.75 

49.88 

1890       .  .                                                               

24.75 

33.60 

58.35 

1891                                                                         .                    

25-10 

34.15 

59.25 

1892                                                           .            

25.60 

34.84 

60.44 

1893               

23.52 

29.38 

52.60 

1894                          

24.14 

32.52 

56.66 

1895                                                                                  

21.90 

32.70 

54.60 

1896                                                                                                       

22.40 

37.30 

59.70 

1897  

23.30 

38.20 

61.50 

1898                 .  .              

24.20 

38.10 

62.30 

1899                                                                    

24.37 

40 

64.37 

1900                                                                                                       

24.96 

41.49 

66.45 

1901                                    .          

28.80 

42.20 

71.00 

1902                                                                     .          

28.90 

43.05 

71.95 

1  00^ 

28.90 

43 

71.90 

1904                                                                     

30.50 

42.00 

72.50 

1905                                                                                         

30 

45.77 

75.77 

1906 

10 


HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 


COST  OF  EDUCATION  PER    CAPITA   AND    TOTAL   COST  OF 
EDUCATION,  BY   YEARS. 


YEAR 

Based  on  Enu- 
meration 

Based  on  En- 
rollment 

Based  on  Aver- 
age Daily  At- 
tendance. 

Amount  of 
Building  Fund 
Expended 

Amount  of 

Teachers' 

Fund  ex- 
pended 

Total  Cost  of 
Education 

1865  . 

$ 

$ 

$ 

|. 

1. 

S    7  722  90 

1866  

172  734  00 

1867.  . 

2  82 

9  28 

ie  25 

324  517  31 

1868.  ... 
1869 

4  00 
3  12 

9  83 
9  75 

17  00 
15  07 

244,386  67 
246  470  W 

277,465  77 
32!),  152  73 

520.  S52  44 

:.;:,  r,°:;  r.<» 

1870 

2  90 

5  38 

8  05 

207  267  66 

262  891  77 

470  129  43 

1871 

3  35 

7  50 

11  25 

212,033  51 

265  685  21 

577  718  72 

1872 

3  48 

6  14 

9  54 

124  791  42 

411  945  18 

536  736  60 

1873  

3  53 

7  48 

9  91 

150,880  95 

456  110  23 

606  991  18 

1874 

4  14 

6  39 

10  32 

224  337  02 

480  430  84 

704  767  86 

1875 

4  24 

6  48 

10  14 

255  233  29 

508  579  16 

763  812  45 

1876  . 

4  25 

6  36 

10  73 

247  630  45 

544  035  15 

786  117  94 

1877  
1878  . 

400 
3  39 

6  30 
5  24 

9  20 

7  85 

209,749  59 
180  113  70 

539,273  32 
501  764  61 

773,  658  10 
681  818  31 

1879  . 

3  44 

5  20 

7  85 

204  874  55 

504  196  35 

7  (Hi  071  30 

1880... 

3  37 

4  95 

7  72 

185  069  67 

522  483  24 

707  552  91 

1881 

3  56 

5  22 

8  31 

212  877  56 

539  647  69 

758  '47."'  °2 

1882  

4  00 

5  56 

8  99 

265,674  84 

600,203  57 

865  878  41 

1883  . 

4  27 

5  90 

9  93 

302  254  49 

649  116  48 

947  370  97 

1884  

4  32 

6  00 

10  05 

305  567  88 

691  863  58 

!i'.i7  431  46 

1885.  . 

4  42 

6  26 

9  85 

324  188  46 

719  080  69 

1  043  26!)  06 

1886  

4  27 

6  02 

10  04 

301,431  10 

735  089  30 

1.  Ooti  n:j(i  4t> 

1887  .. 

4  36 

6  06 

10  04 

330  727  84 

756  946  86 

1  087  744  70 

1888.   .. 

5  62 

7  61 

11  80 

416,950  56 

823  699  32 

1,240,649  91 

1888 

5  07 

7  01 

10  95 

457  633  99 

856  067  04 

1  313  701  03 

1890  

4  89 

6  71 

10  62 

397,963  31 

895,201  67 

1,293,164  98 

1891  .  .  . 

4  69 

6  53 

10  46 

546  019  83 

914  673  71 

1  360  693  54 

1892 

5  16 

7  16 

10  25 

491  757  03 

944  395  50 

1  436  062  53 

1893 

5  43 

7  64 

11  85 

582  468  62 

1  009  719  50 

1  592  188  12 

L8M 

5  56 

7  48 

11  74 

548  160  65 

1  068  783  83 

1  616  941  48 

1895  

5  78 

7  77 

11  89 

542  706  63 

1  121  820  72 

1,664  452  35 

1896.  . 

6  12 

8  18 

12  62 

561  967  64 

1  255  897  96 

1   Si  7  DtM  (ill 

1897  :.. 

6  32 

8  62 

13  36 

635  225  08 

1  262  220  08 

1  S!»7  777  07 

1898... 

6  37 

8  31 

12  31 

665  930  00 

1  294  483  34 

1  '.if>0  415  54 

1898 

6  25 

8  24 

13  18 

631  8%  49 

'282  836  87 

1  (U4  ',',).}  ;!(') 

1900  .. 

6  56 

8  69 

13  33 

691  7^4  42 

327  440  61 

2  0111  165  03 

1901 

6  37 

8  61 

13  46 

747  073  53 

381  539  07 

•'  i"s  612  60 

1902... 

6  69 

8  98 

14  18 

712  389  72 

484  74:5  73 

2  197  i:!o  45 

1903 

7  38 

9  94 

14  90 

821  601  67 

571  ()">o  t'.'i 

2  393  .">.">.">  oii 

1904 

7  94 

10  61 

16  23 

913  946  11 

675  257  17 

2  589  203  28 

1905  

8  40 

11  51 

17  94 

1,002  986  70 

,741,590  75 

2,744,577  45 

1906  

8  91 

12  02 

17  41 

1  015  603  12 

954  851  99 

2,970  455  11 

WEST  VIRGINIA 


11 


THE  AMOUNT  OF  THE  GENERAL  SCHOOL  FUND  DISTRIB- 
UTED, AND  THE  SCHOOL  FUND  B  Y  YEARS 


YEAR 

The  School 
Fund 

General 
School  Fund 

Gross 
Amount 

1865  

$  106,122  78 

67,348  96 

1866 

88  772  55 

195  562  16 

1867 

172,023  15 

175  395  24 

1868 

208  397  37 

183  496  68 

1869 

216,761  06 

149,568  58 

1870 

229  300  00 

233  130  00 

1871... 

278,069  92 

174,896  35 

1872 

284  717  18 

237  215  88 

1873... 

316,152  34 

231,435  92 

1874 

315  320  48 

314  791  32 

1875... 

325,243  34 

209,  124  38 

1876 

339  987  J-7 

207  263  98 

1877 

344  531  45 

195  183  75 

1878 

354  811  48 

251  414  50 

1879... 

375,154  52 

220,232  54 

1880 

423  988  85 

221  616  38 

1881  .. 

441,947  25 

183  783  88 

1882 

474  305  11 

272  842  33 

1883... 

504,461  26 

252,529  90 

1884 

514  159  33 

218  208  53 

1885  
1886               

549,258  00 
570  473  18 

164,529  50 
367  724  96 

1887 

890,493  25 

402,396  87 

1888 

600  462  08 

890  564  88 

1889 

619,962  08 

300,168  83 

1890  

620  Oil  48 

300  421  23 

1891 

678  ^3  93 

361  487  89 

1892... 

706  '  025  75 

336  389  64 

1893.... 

732  091  01 

314  754  53 

1894      

766  678  80 

367  b77  18 

1895 

796  163  34 

392  654  32 

1896  

834  682  25 

395,020  17 

1897 

868  230  14 

364  982  22 

1898  

924  659  86 

397  044  36 

1899    

970  663  24 

364  201  99 

1900... 

1  032  920  32 

411  204  94 

1901 

1  094  506  32 

422  169  81 

1902  
1903     

1,104.412  69 
1  073  534  78 

462,  250  52 
530  666  07 

1904 

1  036  767  39 

540  483  23 

1905  
1906     

1,000,000  00 
1  000  000  00 

600,'  943  93 
762  799  79 

12  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 


The  General  School  Fund. 

FROM  THE  SUPERINTENDENT'S  REPORT,  1906 

Since  the  last  Biennial  Report  of  this  Department  was  issued  some  very 
important  changes  have  been  made  in  the  manner  of  accumulating  the 
General  School  Fund. 

At  the  Special  session  of  the  Legislature  in  1904  the  State  School  tax, 
which  for  many  years,  in  fact  since  the  organization  of  the  State,  had 
been  ten  cents  on  the  hundred  dollars  valuation  was,  for  1905,  reduced 
to  eight  cents,  and  by  authority  conferred  upon  the  Board  of  Public 
Works  by  the  Legislature,  was  by  this  Board  further  reduced  to  six  cents 
on  the  hundred  dollars.  Then  for  the  year  1906  the  Board  of  Public 
Works  fixed  the  rate  for  the  State  School  Tax  at  two  and  one-half  cents  on 
the  hundred,  or  just  one-fourth  of  what  it  was  in  1904. 

But  notwithstanding  this  lowering  of  the  rate  of  taxation,  the  General 
School  Fund  has  kept  on  increasing  each  year,  and  I  confidently  expect 
that  within  the  next  two  years  it  will  reach  one  million  dollars.  When  the 
reduction  in  the  State  School  levy  was  made  it  was  provided  that  two- 
sevenths  of  the  license  and  franchise  taxes  should  go  into  the  General 
School  Fund,  the  aim  being  to  keep  this  fund,  as  heretofore,  as  a  kind  of 
balance  wheel  to  our  school  revenues.  It  will  be  noticed  that  this  two- 
sevenths  is  in  the  same  proportion  as  are  the  old  rate  of  levy  for  State  and 
School  purposes,  that  is,  as  ten  to  thirty-five. 

The  chief  sources  therefore  from  which  our  distributable  fund  is  now 
derived  are  as  follows: 

Capitation  tax, 

The  two  and  one-half  cent  levy, 

Two-sevenths  of  all  license  and  franchise  taxes, 

Interest  on  the  $1,000,000  School  Fund, 

Fines  and  forfeitures, 
•  One-half  the  interest  on  State  deposits, 

Sale  of  delinquent  lands. 

There  are  a  few  other  minor  sources  but  they  do  not  produce  much. 
Of  course  the  Institute  and  Examination  fees  go  into  this  fund,  but  are 
checked  out  and  used  for  the  purposes  for  which  they  were  intended. 

The  net  amount  of  this  fund  for  each  of  the  last  four  years  is  as  fol- 
lows: 

1903     $516,216.07 

1904    518,148.73 

1905    575,637.68 

1906   737,237.29 

These  are  the  sums  left  each  year  after  deducting  the  salaries  of  the 
County  Superintendents  and  the  expenses  of  the  office  of  the  State  Superin- 
tendent of  Schools,  including  all  the  printing  for  the  Department.  Some 


WEST  VIRGINIA  13 

expenses  at  the  Auditor's  office,  as  shown  in  his  Reports,  had  previously 
been  deducted. 

The  General  School  Fund  is  apportioned  in  June  annually  to  the  dif- 
ferent counties  on  the  basis  of  the  enumeration  taken  with  reference 
to  the  first  of  April  preceding.  For  the  last  four  years  the  amount  per 
capita  of  school  population  has  been  as  given  below: 

1903 $1.615 

1904 1.588 

1905    1.728 

1906    2.155 

This  indicates  a  gradual  increase  except  between  1903  and  1904  when 
the  largely  increased  enumeration  lowered  the  per  capita,  while  the  42 
cents  in  advance  from  1905  to  1906  is  very  encouraging. 

The  Auditor's  Reports  as  to  the  condition  of  the  General  School  Fund 
for  1905  and  1906  are  as  follows: 

STATE  OF  WEST  VIRGINIA, 

AUDITOR'S  OFFICE, 
ARNOLD  C.  SCHERR,  Auditor. 

CHARLESTON,  June  10,1905. 
HON.  THOS  C.  MILLER, 

State  Superintendent  of  Free  Schools, 

Charleston,  W.  Va. 
DEAR  SIR:  — 

I  have  the  honor  to  submit  the  following  report  in  accordance  with  the 
provisions  of  Section  61,  Chapter  45  of  the  Code  of  West  Virginia. 

RECEIPTS  OF   THE  GENERAL  SOHOOL  FUND  FROM  JUNE  1st,  190%, 
TO  MAT  Slst,  1905. 

General  school  tax,  ten-cent  levy  and  capitations   $374,318  85 

Fines    by    courts    27,069  40 

Dividends    on    stocks     8,600  00 

Interest  on  bonds  and  notes   42,444  07 

One  half  interest  on  state  deposits   11,641  24 

School  tax  on  railroad  property   29,221  15 

Redemption  of  land  taxes    2,669  30 

Sale    of   delinquent    lands    7,470  7.1 

Sale  and  redemption  of  forfeited  lands    3,770  48 

Teachers'   examination  fee    4,607  65 

Teachers'  institute  fee   4,921  75 

Transfer  of  the  school  fund,  H.  J.   R.   No.   15    36,767  39 

Transfer  of  license  and  franchise  taxes,  Sec.  60,  Ch.  19  Acts  1904....  75,372  72 


$628,875  71 
DISBURSEMENTS   DURING    THE    SAME   PERIOD. 

Salaries  State  Supt.  of  Schools $     1,875  00 

Salaries   clerk's   office   State    Superintendent   of   Schools    4,251  34 

Expenses  State  Supt.  of  Schools   355  85 

Contingent  expenses  State   Supt.   of  Schools    2,240  36 

Printing,   binding  and  stationery   Supt.   of  Schools    7,830  44 

Salaries   County    Superintendents   of    Schools    25,306  25 

Purchase   of   books    371  75 

Refunding   erroneous   payments   into    the    treasury    3  41 


14  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

Cost  of  certification  and  publication  delinquent  lands   1,725  00 

Publishing  sale  of  delinquent   lands 581  49 

Support  of  county   institutes    6,011  65 

Uniform   examination   system    2,663  46 

Overpaid    taxes    37  91 

Balance  not  distributed  1904    .  15  88 


Total   disbursements    $  53,269  79 

Leaving  the  amount  to  be  distributed  among  the  several  counties,  as 
follows: 

Amount   paid    county    superintendents $  25,306  25 

Balance  In  treasury  May  31,  1905    575,637  68 


Total  distributable  portion  of  the  general  school  fund $600,943  93 

Respectfully  submitted, 

A.  C.  SCHERR, 
Auditor. 

STATE  OF  WEST  VIRGINIA, 
AUDITOR'S  OFFICE, 
ARNOLD  C.  SCHERR,  Auditor. 

CHARLESTON,  June  7,  1906. 
Hox.  THOS.  C.  MILLER, 

State  Sup't  Free  Schools, 

Charleston,  West  Va. 
DEAR  SIR:  — 

I  have  the  honor  to  submit  the  following  report  in  accordance  with  the 
provisions  of  section  61  of  chapter  45  of  the  Code  of  West  Virginia: 

RECEIPTS  OF  THE  GENERAL  SCHOOL  FUND  FROM  JUNE  1st,  1905, 
TO  MAT  Slst,  1906. 

General  school  tax,  six-cent  levy  and  capitations $370,254  40 

Fines    by    courts    28,407  58 

Dividends  on  stocks    21,700  00 

Interest  on  bonds  and  notes 41,594  39 

Interest  on  deposits    12,504  69 

Railroad    taxes     20,947  34 

Redemption  of  land  taxes   3,105  38 

Sale  of  delinquent  lands    4,430  72 

Sale  and  redemption  of  forfeited  lands   2,204  18 

Excess  of  purchase  money  in  forfeited  lands   293  55 

Teachers'   examination   fees    5,128  58 

Teachers'   institute  fees 5,211,50 

Forfeited    recognizances     950  00 

Witness    fees    8  00 

Transfer  of  license  and  franchise  taxes  (Chap.  19  Sec.  60,  Acts  '04).  >.  284,540  64 


Total    receipts    $801,280  95 

DISBURSEMENTS  DURING  THE  SAME  PERIOD. 

Salary  State  Supt.  Free  Schools   $     3,000  00 

Salary  Chief  Clerk  State  Supt  Free  Schools   1,800  00 

Salary  other  clerks  State  Supt  Free  Schools   2,187  00 

Salary  Stenographer  State  Supt  Free  Schools 1,156  66 

Expenses  State  Supt  Free  Schools   611  95 


WEST  VIRGINIA  15 

Contingent  expenses  State  Supt.  Free  Schools   1,731  05 

Printing,  binding  and  stationery,  State  Supt.  Free  Schools   6,216  44 

Salaries  County  Supts.    Schools    25,562  50 

Compensation    Institute    Instructors    6,000  00 

Purchase  of  books,  State  Supt.   Schools   100  00 

Refunding  erroneous  payments  into  treasury    /.  .  454  06 

Pay  state  agents — funds  collected   115  90 

Cost  certification  and  publication  of  delinquent  taxes 2,132  83 

Publishing   sale   delinquent   lands    656  13 

Expenses   uniform    examination    3,433  42 

Transfer  balances  sheriffs'   accounts    8,592  17 

Excess  purchase  money  forfeited  lands    293  55 


Total    disbursements     $  64,043  66 

Leaving  the  amount  to  be  distributed  among  the  several  counties  as  follows : 

Amount  paid  Co.   Supts.   Schools    $  25,562  50 

Balance  in  treasury  May  31,  1906    737,237  29 


Total  distribution  of  general  school  fund $762,799  79 

Respectfully  sumbitted, 

A.  C.  SCHEBE, 

Auditor. 

THE    APPORTIONMENT. 

Below  is  given  the  apportionment  of  The  General  School  Fund  for  the 
years  1905  and  1906.  To  those  interested  in  the  financial  as  well  as  the 
educational  features  of  our  progress  this  is  a  valuable  table.  All  knowl- 
edge is  by  comparison  and  this  table  enables  one  to  realize  some  con- 
ditions that  otherwise  do  not  appear  so  plain. 


16 


HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 


APPORTIONMENT   OF  THE  GENERAL    SCHOOL   FUND    TO- 
GETHER  WITH  THE  TOTAL  ENUMERATION,  1905-1906 


Net  Amount 

Oo.  Supt's  Salary 

Gross  Amount 

Enumerat'n 

AND  CITIES 

1905 

1906 

1905 

1906 

1905 

1906 

1905 

1906 

Barbour  

$    8,537  22 

$  10,168  64 

$     50000 

$     50000 

tf    9,037  22 

S  10,668  64 

4,938 

4,718 

Berkeley    .... 

6,982  96 

8,724  60 

425  00 

425  00 

7,407  96 

9  149  60 

4,039 

4,048 

Boone  

5,278  28 

7,041  32 

425  00 

42500 

5,703  28 

7,466  32 

3,053 

Braxton  

11,922  36 

15,511  60 

50000 

50000 

12,422  36 

16,011  60 

6,896 

7,'  197 

Brooke  

4,391  36 

5,769  70 

300  00 

300  00 

4,691  36 

6,069  70 

2,540 

2,677 

Oabell  

11,265  40 

14,321  90 

500  00 

500  00 

11,765  40 

14,821  90 

6,516 

6  645 

Calhoun 

7,022  72 

8,817  28 

425  00 

425  00 

7  447  72 

9.242  28 

4,062 

4  095 

Olay  

5,746  80 

7,226  66 

406  25 

42500 

6,153  05 

7,651  (5(5 

3,324 

3,'  353 

Doddridge.... 

7,378  87 

9,188  00 

50000 

50000 

7,878  87 

9,688  00 

4,268 

4,263 

Fayette 

19,581  30 

38  954  10 

500  00 

500  00 

20,081  30 

29,454  10 

11  32« 

13  434 

Gilmer  

6,867  12 

8,610  37 

60000 

500  00 

•    7,367  12 

9,11037     3,972 

3J995 

Grant 

3  993  72 

5,034  74 

406  25 

425  00 

4  399  97 

5  459  74     2  3in 

2  336 

Greenbrier  — 

12,930  30 

16,434  07 

50000 

500  00 

13,'  430  30 

16,'  934  07 

7,479 

7,625 

Hampshire.... 

6,467  75 

8,032  75 

500  00 

50000 

6,967  75 

8,532  75 

.  3,741 

3,727 

Hancock  

3,927  91 

4,976  55 

30000 

3JOOO 

4.227  91 

5,27(5  55      2.272 

2,309 

Hardy  

5,025  86 

6,196  44 

42500 

425  00       5,450  86 

6,621  44j     2,907 

2,875 

Harrison  

16,175  17 

20,867  50 

500  00 

50000     16,67517 

21,367  50     9,264 

9,682 

Jackson. 

12,759  14 

15,753  00 

500  00 

500  00:     13  259  14 

16,253  00     7-,  380 

7,309 

Jefferson  

8,483  62 

11,129  90 

425  00 

425  00       8,*908  62 

11.554  90     4,907 

5,164 

Kanawha  

31,667  90 

37,756  36 

50000 

50000     32,16790 

38,256  36!  18,317 

17,518 

8  587  35 

11  032  91 

500  00 

500  00  !      9  087  35 

11,532  91      4.967 

5  119 

Lincoln  

11  ',006  06 

13,'  757  20 

50000 

500  00     11  !  506  06 

14,257  20!     6.366 

6J383 

5  724  33 

7  136  15 

262  50 

350  00 

5,986  83 

7,486  15 

3,311 

3,311 

Marion  

17,430  58 

22,029  20 

500  00 

500  00 

17*930  58 

22  529  20 

10  082 

10,221 

Marshall  

11,279  22 

13,931  78 

50000 

50000 

11,779  22 

14,431  78 

6,524 

Mason  

13,450  70 

16,207  77 

50000 

50000 

13,950  70 

16,707  77 

7,780 

7  ',520 

Mercer  

15,805  43 

21,378  31 

500  00 

500  00 

16,305  43 

21,878  31 

9.  142 

9,919 

Mineral  

8.,  003  00 

10,151  40 

42500 

481  25 

8,  428  00 

10.632  65 

4.1529 

4,710 

Mingo  

7,849  12 

12,192  42 

425  00 

425  00 

8,274  12     12,617  42 

4,540 

5,675 

Monongalia... 

10,065  60 

13,119  23 

50000 

50000 

10,565  60|     13,619  23 

5,822 

6,087 

Monroe  

7,731  66 

10,002  70 

50000 

500  00 

8,231  56 

10,502  70 

4.472 

4,641 

Morgan  

4,178  71 

5,258  90 

350  00 

35000 

4,528  71 

5.608  90 

2.417 

2,440 

McDowell  

11,552  38 

15,593  50 

50000 

500  00 

12,052  88 

16,093  50 

6.682 

7,235 

Nicholas  

8,194  90 

10,890  66 

50000 

500  00 

8,694  90 

11.390  r,6 

4,740 

:>.05;{ 

Ohio  

5,669  00 

7,575  82 

35000 

350  00 

6  019  00 

7.  92->  82 

3,279 

3.515 

Pendleton  .... 

5,720  88 

7,110  30 

481  25 

50000 

6,202  13 

7,610  30 

3,309 

3,299 

I'li'a^auts  

4,877  18 

6.  189  97 

35000 

35000 

5,227  18 

6,539  97 

8,872 

Pocahontas... 

5,  261  00 

7,172  80 

500  00 

50000 

5,761  00 

7,672  80 

3,043 

3,328 

Preston  

12,  783  &5 

16,472  86 

500  00 

50000 

13,283  ?5 

1(5,972  8*5 

7,894 

7,643 

Put  nam  

10,164  09 

12,908  01 

500  00 

500  00 

10,664  09 

13.  408  01 

5.879 

6.989 

Raleigh..     .. 

9,567  63 

12.563  16 

50000 

50000 

10.067  63 

i;;.oi;:5  it; 

5,584 

Randolph  

10.  MM  22 

It,  168  85 

500  00 

50000 

11,390  22 

14.668  85 

6,299 

Ritchie  

10,563  46 

13,162  33 

50000 

50000 

11,063  46 

13,662  33 

8,110 

6,107 

Roane..  

13,  142  95 

16,341  40 

500  00 

500  00 

13.642  95 

16,841  40 

7,002 

7.  5s  I 

Hummers  

10.051   71 

13,069  65 

50000 

50000 

10,551  71 

13.  5lV.)  f,5 

6,064 

Taylor  

3,995  45 

5,422  70 

35000 

350  00 

4.:;r>  :.". 

2,811 

2,516 

7,437  65 

9,660  00 

425  00 

481  25 

7,862  65 

10.141   :.';-• 

l.:il)2l    4,482 

Tyl'-r    

9,344  60 

11,360  51 

50000 

50000 

9,844  60 

11.  NM)  51 

5.4051     5.271 

I'pshur  

8,946  96 

11,024  30 

500  00 

50000 

9.44i;  9t; 

11.524  W 

6.1761    5.115 

Way  IIK  

12,828  30 

1(5,087  06 

50000 

50000 

If,,5s7  Of, 

Webster  

7,60384 

500  00 

50000 

f)    »}f}»$    ~;> 

i  in:i  M 

:V:;74     3.'  528 

Wetzel  

14,169  90 

17.  Ml   47 

50000 

50000 

14  669  90 

1S.:>41  47 

8,196 

8,278 

Wirt  

5,824  60 

7,13400 

425  00 

425  mi 

15.249  till 

7.559  Oil 

3,869 

3,310 

Wood  

9,692  11 

12,343  33 

50000 

50000 

12.si:j  :?;{ 

5.  tint;    5.727 

Wyoming  .... 

6,120  27 

7.4C.S  06 

425  INI 

425  00 

t;.'545  27 

8,640 

3,465 

Ceredo  .  . 

1.  :.'.'i  I  71 

1.517  :«> 

1.251   71 

1.517  ::o 

724 

704 

(  •  lui  rlcston  .  .  . 

7  4  '.if,  4:5 

9  731*  10 

7  4!'i;  C! 

9  7:51    10 

4  :;:>(>     4  515 

(  .rafton  

:i.:57:5  05 

4!  588  60 



:{.:?7:5  05 

4.5SS  .10 

1.951 

Huntington.. 

11.  938  10 

7,878  50 

li.9:;s  in 

i  557 

M  a  rti  nstm  rj_r.  • 

4  239  22 

5,302  00 

4  239  22 

•'  |52 

Mound-villr.. 

3.810  45 

4,786  87 

:5.S](I  45 

4.78(5  87 

2.201 

1  'a  rkfi'sbu  rjr.. 

8  211  71 

10.679  44 

10  679  44 

1   7!  Mi      4  955 

Wheeling. 

111.147  :*5 

22,815  85 

82,816  s:, 

11.075     1II.5SC, 

Total.  

* 

$575,637  68 

$737,237  29 

$25,30625 

S25.5f,2  50 

$600,943  93 

>7  r,2.  799  79 

332,  862  342,  060 

FRANCES  H.  PIERPONT, 

Governor  of  the  Restored  Government  of  Virginia,  whose  statue  in  mar- 
ble is  one  of  West  Virginia's  contributions  to  Statuary  Hall,  Washington. 


18 


HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 


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WEST  VIBGINIA.  19 


Early    Education   in    West  Virginia. 

Bt 

VIRGIL    A.    LEWIS,    M.    A., 
STATE    HISTORIAN    AND    ARCHIVIST. 

Lord  Bacon  has  said  that  "Knowledge  is  Power."  He  did  not  say  that 
knowledge  is  virtue  or  that  knowledge  would  necessarily  bring  happi- 
ness to  its  possessor.  Yet,  the  experience  of  all  ages  has  proved  that  an 
educated  people  will,  other  things  being  equal,  be  the  most  industrious 
most  prosperous  and  most  virtuous,  and,  therefore,  the  most  happy 
And  since  the  light  of  revealed  knowledge  has  dawned  upon  the  world, 
the  necessity  for  education  has  become  vastly  more  apparent. 

Some  one  has  said  that  History  is  but  "a  record  of  bleeding  centuries 
preserved  by  the  book-keepers  of  the  nation."  This  is  in  great  part  true, 
for  it  is  little  else  than  a  story  of  war,  plunder,  devastation  and  desola- 
tion. But  there  are  some  noted  exceptions.  It  was  the  boast  of  J.  R. 
Green,  the  author  of  the  "History  of  the  English  People,"  that,  therein,  he 
had  given  more  space  to  Chaucer  than  to  Creasy;  to  Caxton  than  to  the 
strife  between  the  Yorkists  and  the  Lancastrians;  to  the.  poet  and  his- 
torian than  to  the  soldier,  mariner,  or  crusader;  to  the  founding  of 
Oxford  University  than  to  the  battle  of  Waterloo;  to  intellectual  ad- 
vancement than  to  the  record  of  the  slaughter  of  men  and  the  desolation 
of  homes.  In  this  he  did  right  for  the  world  of  today  cares  not  so  much 
for  the  records  of  the  wars  of  a  state  or  nation  as  for  the  story  of  its 
intellectual  development.  West  Virginia  was  once  a  land  of  blo'ck- 
houses,  forts,  and  stockades;  now  it  is  a  land  of  school-houses.  The 
story  of  the  transition  from  the  one  to  the  other  is  an  interesting  one, 
for  it  tells  how  the  mental  activities  of  the  people  have  kept  pace  with 
the  material  development  of  this  Trans-Allegheny  region. 

THE    FIRST   ATTEMPT    TO   FOUND    AN    ENGLISH    SCHOOL    IN    AMERICA 

For  many  years  the  history  of  West  Virginia  is  a  part  of  that  of  Vir- 
ginia, and  if  we  would  learn  its  story  we  must  look  beyond  the  Blue 
Ridge,  even  to  the  shores  of  the  Chesapeake,  for  the  causes  which  have 
acted  in  advancing  or  retarding  the  progress  of  the  first  settlers  of 
the  State  and  of  their  immediate  descendants  as  well.  '  The  earliest  Eng- 
lish settlement  in  America  was  made  in  1607,  at  Jamestown  on  the  banks 
of  the  historic  James  river.  This  was  thirteen  years  and  six  months 
before  a  single  white  man  found  a  home  on  the  shores  of  New  England. 


20  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 

THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  IIENRICO 

Many  of  the  foremost  literary  men  and  profoundest  scholars  of  Eng- 
land were  members  of  the  Virginia  Company  of  London;  and  George 
Percy,  John  Porey,  Alexander  Whitaker,  George  Sandys,  and  others  who 
had  ccme  to  the  Colony  were  educated  men.  Hence  we  are  not  surprised 
to  find  the  Company,  after  having  established  representative  government 
in  Virginia — the  first  in  America — engaged  in  an  effort  to  found,  on  the 
banks  of  the  James,  in  1619,  the  first  educational  institution  in  North 
America  north  of  the  parallel  of  Mexico.  This  was  to  be  the  University  of 
Henrico  and  its  location  was  to  be  on  the  northern  or  eastern  bank  of  the 
James  rfver,  ten  miles  below  the  Falls — now  Richmond.  Here  the  Com- 
pany, on  the  recommendation  of  its  treasurer,  Sir  Edwin  Sandys,  donated, 
or  set  aside,  fifteen  thousand  acres  of  land  and  furnished  one  hundred 
tenants  to  cultivate  this  for  the  support  of  the  College.  King  James  I, 
a  friend  of  the  proposed  school  issued  instructions  to  the  bishops  of 
England  to  collect  money  to  build  a  University  in  Virginia.  In  these  he 
said:  "Wherefore,  do  we  require  you  and  hereby  authorize  you  to  write 
letters  *  *  *  *  to  zealous  men  of  the  diocese,  that  they  may,  by 
their  own  example  in  contribution  and  by  exhortation  to  others,  move 
the  people  within  the  several  charges  to  contribute  to  so  good  a  work 
*  *  *  to  be  employed  for  this  goodly  purpose  and  no  other."  Fifteen' 
hundred  pounds — more  than  seven  thousand  dollars — were  thus  collected. 
Then  there  were  private  donations  and  bequests.  Gabriel  Barker,  a 
member  of  the  Company,  gave  five  hundred  pounds  for  the  education  of 
Indian  children  in  the  institution;  a  person  unknown  sent  a  communion 
table  for  the  University;  still  another,  who  concealed  his  identity,  gave 
many  excellent  books  to  the  value  of  ten  pounds,  together  with  a  map 
"of  all  that  coast  of  America."  Nicholas  Farrar  gave  by  will  three  hun- 
dred pounds  for  the  same  object;  Reverend  Thomas  Bargrave,  a  minister 
in  the  Colony,  gave  a  library  valued  at  one  thousand  marks;  and  the  in- 
habitants along  the  banks  of  the  James  made  a  contribution  of  fifteen 
hundred  pounds  to  build  a  house  of  entertainment  at  Henrico — the  pro- 
posed seat  of  the  University.  In  mid-summer  of  this  year,  George  Thorpe, 
the  Superintendent  of  the  School — the  first  English  school  teacher  in 
America — arrived  in  Virginia,  and  fixed  his  residence  at  Henrico,  where 
work  on  the  institution  began.  In  October,  1621,  Sir  Francis  Wyatt, 
Governor  of  the  Colony,  arrived  at  Jamestown  bringing  a  series  of  instruc- 
tions from  the  Company  for  his  own  guidance,  and  one  of  these  was  that 
he  should  see  to  it  that  every  town  or  borough  "have  taught  some  chil- 
dren fit  for  College."  It  is  fair  to  presume  that  in  compliance  with  this 
requirement  he  caused  schools  to  be  established  for  this  purpose. 

THE    EAST    INDIA    SCHOOL    AT    CHARLES    CITY 

But  still  another  effort  was  made  to  found  thus  early,  a  school  in 
Virginia.  In  1621,  Rev.  Patrick  Copeland,  Chaplain  of  the  East  India 
ship,  the  "Royal  James,"  collected  from  the  mariners  and  passengers 
when  homeward  bound  to  England,  the  sum  of  seventy  pounds,  eight 


WEST  VIBGINIA.  21 

shillings  and  six  pence,  to  aid  in  founding  a  seminary  or  preparatory 
school  at  Charles  City  in  Virginia,  to  be  known  as  the  East  India  School. 
Other  donations  of  money  and  books  were  made  in  England.  The  Vir- 
ginia Company  of  London  appropriated  a  thousand  acres  of  land  with  five 
tenants  to  aid  in  its  support.  The  good  ship  "Abagail"  brought  over  a 
number  of  mechanics,  ship-carpenters  and  others;  also,  "a  select  number 
to  build  the  East  India  School  at  Charles  City."  Its  projector,  Rev.  Pat- 
rick Copeland,  was  chosen  its  Rector,  but  for  reasons  now  to  appear,  he 
never  crossed  the  ocean. 

DEATH,    WRECK    AND    RUIN 

A  terrible  tragedy  now  darkened  all  the  land  of  Virginia.  O-pach-an- 
ca-no  resolved  to  destroy  the  colony  and  in  the  Indian  massacre  on 
March  22,  1622,  three  hundred  and  forty-seven  of  the  settlers  fell  in 
death  at  the  hands  of  a  barbarous  and  perfidious  people.  Superintendent 
Thorpe  and  seventeen  of  the  people  of  the  University  of  Henrico,  were 
among  the  slain,  and  five  victims  fell  at  Charles  City,  the  seat  of 
the  East  India  School.  Whether  these  last  were  the  five  tenants 
sent  by  the  Company  to  till  its  lands  cannot  now  be  known,  but 
it  is  probable  that  they  were.  The  direful  calamity  stayed  the  progress 
of  education  in  the  Colony.  Had  it  not  been  so  the  East  India  School 
and  the  University  of  Henrico,  with  equipment,  and  preparatory  schools 
"teaching  some  children  fit  for  the  College"  would  have  begun  its  work 
fifteen  years  before  Harvard,  seventy-two  years  before  William  and  Mary 
opened  its  doors  to  students  and  eighty  years  before  Yale  had  an  exist- 
ence. 

EDUCATION    IN    VIRGINIA    BEFORE    THE    REVOLUTION 

In  1624,  two  years  after  the  massacre,  King  James,  by  quo  warranto 
proceedings,  dissolved  the  Virginia  Company  of  London,  and  Virginia  be- 
came a  Crown  Colony.  The  Established  Church  of  England  had  already 
divided  the  settled  portion  of  the  Colony  into  parishes  and  it  was  in  these 
that  Sir  Francis  Wyatt,  the  governor,  in  1621,  was  directed  by  the  Com- 
pany "to  have  taught  some  children  fit  for  the  College." 

THE    PARISH    SCHOOLS — FREE    SCHOOLS    ESTABLISHED    BY    INDIVIDUALS 

Wyatt's  instruction  was  doubtless  the  origin  of  the  Parish  or  Paro- 
chial Schools  in  Virginia.  Thenceforth  for  more  than  a  hundred  years 
the  records  of  the  schools  belong  to  the  history  of  the  Church  rather  than 
to  the  annals  of  the  Colony.  Therefore,  historians  of  that  time  gave  but 
little  attention  to  educational  matters.  From  the  acts  of  the  House  of  Bur- 
gesses we  learn  that  in  1643,  Benjamin  Symms  devised  a  freehold  of 
two  hundred  acres  on  Poccosin  river  in  Elizabeth  City  County  for  the 
support  of  a  free  school  for  the  education  and  instruction  of  the  children 
of  the  parishes  of  Elizabeth  and  Kiquotan.  It  also  appears  that,  soon 
after,  Thomas  Eaton  died,  and  having  been  prompted  by  the  good  intent  of 


22  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 

Symms,  left  an  estate  in  the  same  county  for  a  similar  purpose.  In  1675 
Henry  Peasley  devised  by  will  six  hundred  acres  of  land  in  Gloucester 
county,  for  the  maintenance  of  a  free  school  for  the  education  of  the 
children  of  Abingdon  and  Ware  parishes  forever.  It  was  known  as  the 
"Peasley  Free  School,"  and  it  continued  its  good  work  for  full  eighty 
years  without  interruption. 

In  1660,  the  House  of  Burgesses  provided  for  the  establishment  of  a 
College,  but  there  were  delays  and  it  was  not  until  1693  that  William  and 
Mary  College,  the  oldest  institution  of  learning  south  of  the  Potomac 
river,  was  opened  for  the  admission  of  students. 

John  Burk,  the  Virginia  historian,  writing  in  1804,  of  the  conditions 
in  the  Colony  immediately  preceding  the  Revolution,  says:  "Although 
the  arts  by  no  means  kept  pace  with  commerce,  yet  their  infant  specimens 
gave  a  promise  of  maturity  and  glory.  The  science  of  education  had 
gradually  become  more  liberal  and  men  of  erudition,  attracted  by  the  ris- 
ing fame  of  the  Colony,  and  the  generous  patronage  of  the  Legislature, 
abandoned  their  countries  and  came  as  teachers  to  Virginia.  The  Col- 
lege of  William  and  Mary  had  been  open  for  three-quarters  of  a  century 
and  many  young  men  who  were  to  be  among  the  founders  of  this  nation, 
thereby  raising  high  their  own  fame  and  the  glory  of  their  country,  had 
already  gone  out  from  its  walls. 

EDUCATION     IN     VIRGINIA     AFTER     THE     REVOLUTION 

With  the  close  of  the  Revolution,  the  Established  Church  ceased  to 
exist  in  Virginia,  and  the  titles  to  the  Glebe  lands  and  other  property 
vested  in  the  State,  or  rather  in  the  counties  in  which  these  were  situ- 
ated, and  thus  terminated  the  Parish  Schools. 

THE   CHARITY    SCHOOLS 

This  gave  rise  to  what  were  known  as  "Charity  Schools."  The  people 
of  King  George,  New  Kent,  and  other  Parishes,  petitioned  the  General 
Assembly  for  needed  legislation  in  the  disposition  of  this  property,  and  in 
some,  as  in  the  first  named  county,  free  schools  were  established  with 
the  proceeds  of  its  sales;  while  in  others,  among  them  New  Kent,  the 
funds  were  used  for  building  houses  and  employing  teachers  for  the  edu- 
cation of  poor  children — hence  the  Charity  Schools.  Then,  too,  num- 
bers of  similar  schools  were  established  and  maintained  by  charitably 
disposed  persons  for  the  children  of  indigent  parents  and  the  Charity 
Schools — free  schools  for  poor  children — became  widely  known  in  Vir- 
ginia. 

THE  "PRIVATE"  OR  "SELECT"  SCHOOLS 

At  the  same  time — the  close  of  the  Revolution — another  class  of 
schools  known  is  "Private"  or  "Select"  Schools  came  into  operation. 
Their  work  was  much  the  same  as  that  of  the  old  Parish  Schools.  They 
were  established  and  maintained  by  a  few  families  whose  children  were 


WEST  VIRGINIA.  23 

the  only  pupils.  In  them  teachers  were  employed  and  paid  pro  rata  by 
patrons.  They  continued  long  and  traces  of  them  may  still  be  found  in 
the  Virginias. 

AX   HISTORICAL  VIEW  OF   THE  OLD  PART  OF  WEST   VIRGINIA 

Before  proceeding  to  consider  the  beginnings  of  education  in  West 
Virginia,  let  us  notice  briefly  the  first  settlements  of  white  men  within 
its  borders.  The  "Eastern  Pan-Handle,"  comprising  the  counties  of  Berke- 
ley, Jefferson,  and  Morgan,  and  the  Valley  of  the  South  Branch,  in  which 
are  Hampshire,  Hardy,  and  Pendleton  counties,  may  be  called  the 
"Old  Part  of  West  Virginia."  John  Lederer,  an  Explorer  sent  out  by 
Governor  Berkeley,  looked  over  on  this  region  from  the  summit  of 
the  Blue  Ridge  in  1769;  but  no  white  man  found  a  home  within  its  bor- 
ders until  the  coming  of  Morgan  ap  Morgan  in  1727,  when  he  reared  his 
cabin  home  on  the  site  of  the  present  village  of  Bunkerhill,  Berkeley 
county.  The  same  year  a  band  of  Pennsylvania  Germans,  seeking  homes, 
crossed  the  Potomac  at  the  "Old  Pack  Horse  Ford"  and  one  mile  above, 
on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  amid  the  gray  lime-stone,  halted  and 
founded  a  village  which  they  named  New  Mecklenberg,  from  the  old  city 
of  that  name  in  the  far  away  Fatherland.  That  was  the  beginning  of 
Shepherdstown,  now  in  Jefferson  county.  In  1732,  Joist  Kite,  with  a 
colony  of  sixteen  families  crossed  the  Potomac  at  the  "Old  Pack  Horse 
Ford"  and  these  found  homes  in  the  Lower  Shenandoah  Valley.  In  the 
years  immediately  following,  daring  frontiersmen  built  their  cabins  along 
the  Opequon,  Back  creek,  Tuscarora  creek,  Little  and  Great  Cacapon  and 
in  the  South  Branch  Valley.  The  region  in  which  these  settlements 
were  made  was,  from  1720  to  1734,  on  the  western  outskirts  of  Spottsyl- 
vania  county;  from  the  last  mentioned  year  to  1738,  it  was  included  in 
Orange  county.  That  part  of  this  county  lying  west  of  the  Blue  Ridge  was 
at  that  date,  divided  into  two  counties — Frederick  and  Augusta— so  named 
in  honor  of  Frederick,  Prince  of  Wales,  and  his  highly  esteemed  consort, 
Augusta  of  Saxe-Gotha,  who  died  sincerely  lamented  by  the  English  na- 
tion. Frederick  county  then  embraced  all  of  the  West  Virginia  settle- 
ments until  1754,  when  Hampshire  county,  named  from  old  Hampshire 
in  England,  was  formed  from  western  Frederick  so  as  to  include  the 
whole  of  the  South  Branch  Valley.  In  1772,  Frederick  was  divided  into 
three  parts  and  Berkeley  county  formed  from  its  northern  third  in  which 
were  chiefly  the  West  Virginia  settlements  then  existing.  From  eastern 
Berkeley,  Jefferson  county  was  set  off  in  1801;  and  From  its  western  part, 
Morgan  county  was  formed  in  1820.  These  three  counties  now  form 
the  "Eastern  Pan-Handle"  of  the  State.  The  District  of  West  Augusta 
was  formed  west  of  Hampshire  county  in  1776,  and  from  it  the  same  year 
the  counties  of  Monongalia,  Ohio,  and  Youghiogheny  were  created,  but 
the  latter  was  extinguished  by  the  western  extension  of  Mason  and  Dix- 
on's  Line.  Further  to  the  southward,  Greenbrier  county  was  formed  in 
1777,  from  parts  of  Botetourt  and  Montgomery  counties  which  had  been 
set  off  previously  from  West  Augusta.  Kanawha  county  was  taken  from 
Western  Greenbrier  in  1789.  Thus  was  county  organization  extended 


24  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 

over  this  trans-Allegheny  Region — West  Virginia  even  to  the  Ohio  River. 
Herein  we  are  not  to  look  for  the  beginnings  and  development  of  educa- 
tion. 

EDUCATION    IN    WEST    VIRGINIA    BEFORE    THE    REVOLUTION 

But  little  can  be  known  of  the  first  schools  in  West  Virginia  in  the 
early  years  of  its  settlement,  for  from  the  year  1727,  when  Morgan  ap 
Morgan,  the  first  settler  within  the  bounds  of  the  State,  reared  his  cabin 
home,  until  General  Wayne,  in  1794,  broke  the  savage  power  at  the  battle 
of  Fallen  Timbers  on  the  Maumee  river — a  period  of  sixty-seven  years — 
there  was  little  else  than  savage  warfare  in  West  Virginia.  In  these  days 
of  alarm,  of  midnight  burnings,  of  the  rencounter  of  the  rifle,  of  the  tragedy 
of  the  tomahawk  and  scalping  knife;  when  the  people  were  confined  in 
frontier  forts,  block-houses,  and  stockades,  there  could  be  but  little  time 
for  education,  for  culture  or  refinement.  Yet,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  the 
little  log  schoolhouse  might  be  seen  here  and  there  in  the  deep  recesses 
of  the  wilderness  long  before  the  Revolution.  The  earliest  reference  to  a 
West  Virginia  school  house  which  the  writer  has  seen  is  that  contained  in 
an  entry  in  the  journal  of  George  Washington,  when  in  1747,  he  was  sur- 
veying lands  for  Lord  Fairfax  on  the  Upper  Potomac,  and  in  the  South 
Branch,  Cacapon  and  Patterson  Creek  Valleys  in  the  Old  Part  of  West 
Virginia.  On  the  18th  of  August  of  that  year,  he  surveyed  a  tract  by  be- 
ginning at  a  station  in  "the  School  House  Old  Field."  But  no  stream  or 
other  object  is  mentioned  by  which  this  location  can  be  determined,  nor 
can  this  be  done  by  any  contemporary  surveys.  It  is  believed  to  be  far  up 
the  South  Branch  Valley,  at  what  is  known  as  the  "Indian  Old  Fields" 
in  Hardy  county. 

The  first  definite  mention  regarding  a  school  in  the  South  Branch 
Valley  is,  that  a  man  of  the  name  of  Shrock  began  teaching  in  a  cabin  at 
Romney,  the  seat  of  justice  of  Hampshire  county,  in  1753 — one  hundred 
and  fifty-four  years  ago — and  continued  for  several  terms,  then  went — 
none  knew  whither.  That  was  not  a  long  time  ago,  but  it  was  two  years- 
before  the  beginning  of  the  French  and  Indian  War;  ten  years  before  the 
fall  of  Quebec;  twenty-one  years  before  a  white  man  found  a  home  in 
Kentucky,  and  twenty-three  years  before  the  signing  of  the  Declaration  of 
Independence. 

The  Parish  Schools  so  common  in  Virginia  east  of  the  Blue  Ridge  and 
in  the  Upper  Shenandoah  Valley,  were  almost  unknown  in  what  is  now 
West  Virginia.  Old  Frederick  Parish  included  the  early  West  Virginia  set- 
tlements in  what  are  now  Hampshire,  Hardy,  Berkeley,  Morgan,  and  Jef- 
ferson counties,  and  as  these  were  formed  other  parishes  were  created  but 
there  is  little  evidence  of  the  existence  of  Parish  Schools  therein. 

EDUCATION   IN    WEST   VIRGINIA   AFTER   THE   CLOSE  OF   THE   REVOLUTION 

In  June,  1776,  Virginia  adopted  a  Constitution— the  first  framed  for  an 
American  State— and  there  was  not  the  slightest  reference,  even  that  of  a 
word,  relating  to  education.  The  State  began  her  existence  without  any 
legal  provision  whatever  relating  to  schools,  in  her  organic  law. 


ALEXANDER  L.  WADE 

For  more  than  a  half  century  Prof.  Wade  was  engaged  in  educational 
work  in  West  Virginia.  He  served  as  teacher,  principal  and  superintend- 
ent of  schools,  and  he  originated  the  plan  for  grading  country  schools. 
His  book  on  this  subject  entitled  "A  Graduating  System  for  Country 
Schools,"  was  widely  circulated  and  the  system  is  now  adopted  in  many 
parts  of  the  country. 

In  closing  some  reminiscences  Prof.  Wade  said:  "7  am  glad  I  was 
called  to  be  a  teacher;  and  though  I  say  with  humility  that  my  work  has 
always  seemed  very  imperfect,  I  have  ever  had  as  my  ideal  the  example  of 
the  Man  of  Galilee  who  went  about  doing  good  and  who  was  called  the 
'Great  Teacher.'  " 

Prof.  Wade  died  at  Richmond,  Va.,  May  2,  1904. 


^twc  u-^ 

Or  T 


WEST  VIRGINIA  2S 

The  Charity  Schools  before  described  can  scarcely  be  said  to  have  had 
any  existence  west  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  A  few,  however,  appear  to  have 
been  opened  in  Berkeley,  Hampshire,  and  some  of  the  more  western 
counties  as  they  then  were.  J.  E.  Norris,  the  historian  of  the  Lower 
Shenandoah  Valley,  says:  "These  Charity  Schools  were  sometimes  main- 
tained at  the  expense  of  the  towns  where  they  were  located,  and  others 
were  established  and  supported  by  the  generosity  of  individuals,  and 
none  but  extremely  poor  parents  ever  thought  of  sending  their  children  to 
them,  they  being  patronized  by  orphans  and  very  indigent  persons."  As 
late  as  1817,  the  General  Assembly  provided  that  all  moneys  in  the  hands 
of  any  county  or  corporation  acquired  from  the  sale  of  glebe  lands  should 
be  applied  to  the  education  of  poor  youth^therein.  This  act,  however,  was 
chiefly  operative  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  Commonwealth.  As  before 
stated  the  "Private"  or  "Select"  schools  were  long  in  operation  and  did 
good  work.  Similar  schools  in  modified  forms  still  exist  in  West  Virginia. 

THE    COMMON    PRIMARY    SCHOOLS 

We  are  now  to  notice  the  most  important  system  of  schools  that  ever 
had  existence  on  the  Virginia  frontier — now  West  Virginia.  These, 
known  as  Common  Primary  Schools,  were  established  as  pioneer  schools 
by  the  frontiersmen  who  assembled  in  their  respective  neighborhoods, 
erected  the  school  houses  at  their  own  expense,  and  then  employed  the 
teachers.  These  schools  differed  from  the  "Private"  or  "Select"  schools 
in  this:  They  were  open  to  all  children  of  all  parents  who  were  able  and 
willing  to  pay  tuition.  They  were  the  historic  schools  of  early  West  Vir- 
ginia. Thousands  of  them  were  established  in  the  long  period  through 
which  they  continued,  for  under  the  name  of  "Old  Field  Schools"  they 
were  in  operation  nearly  a  hundred  years.  They  are  to  receive  notice 
more  fully  as  this  article  progresses. 

THE    FIRST    PUBLIC    SCHOOL    THAT    AFFECTED    WEST    VIRGINIA 

Notwithstanding  the  lack  of  constitutional  authority,  the  General  As- 
sembly, on  December  26,  1796,  enacted  the  first  Virginia  School  Law  that 
in  any  way  affected  West  Virginia.  At  that  time,  ten  of  the  present  West 
Virginia  counties  had  an  existence;  these  were  Hampshire,  Berkeley, 
Monongalia,  Ohio,  Greenbrier,  Harrison,  Hardy,  Randolph,  Pendleton,  and 
Kanawha,  formed  in  the  order  named.  This  act  was  called  the  "Alder- 
manic  School  Law,"  and  it  contained  a  preamble  in  which  it  was  said  that 
"Whereas  it  appeareth  that  the  great  advantages  which  civilized  and 
polished  nations  appear  to  enjoy,  beyond  the  savage  and  barbarous  nations 
of  the  world,  are  principally  derived  from  the  invention  and  use  of  letters, 
by  means  whereof  the  knowledge  and  experience  of  past  days  are  recorded 
and  transmitted,  so  that  man,  availing  himself  in  succession  of  the 
accumulated  wisdom  and  discoveries  of  his  predecessors,  is  enabled  more 
successfully  to  pursue  and  improve  not  only  those  acts  which  contribute 
to  the  support,  convenience  and  ornament  of  life,  but  to  those  also  which 
tend  to  illumine  and  ennoble  his  understanding  and  his  nature."  Further, 
that  "if  the  minds  of  the  citizens  be  not  rendered  liberal  and  humane,  and 
be  not  fully  impressed  with  the  importance  of  the  priciples  from  which 


26  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

these  blessings  proceed,  there  can  be  no  real  stability  or  lasting  per- 
manency of  the  liberty,  justice  and  order  of  a  republican  government." 

With  a  view,  therefore,  to  lay  the  first  foundation  of  a  system  of 
education  which  should  tend  to  produce  these  desirable  results,  it  was  pro- 
vided in  this  act  that  in  each  county  of  the  State,  tlie  people  should 
annually  elect  "three  of  their  most  honest  and  able  men"  to  be  called 
Aldermen  of  the  county;  that  these  should  meet  annually  on  the  second 
Monday  in  May,  at  their  court  house,  there  to  consider  the  expediency  of 
putting  the  act  into  execution,  having  regard  to  the  state  of  the  population 
within  the  county;  that  if  this  was  deemed  best,  they  should  proceed  to 
divide  the  county  into  sections,  regulating  the  size  of  these  so  that  each 
should  contain  a  sufficient  number  of  children  to  make  up  a  school;  that 
each  section  should  be  given  a  particular  name;  that  a  list  of  these  names 
should  be  supplied  to  the  clerk  of  the  county  court  who  was  required  to 
make  record  thereof  in  his  office;  that  these  should  remain  unaltered  until 
a  change  was  rendered  necessary  by  an  increase  or  decrease  in  inhabitants, 
and  that  the  succeeding  Aldermen  should  make  such  change  as  the 
county  court  directed.  After  this  action  had  been  taken  by  the  Aldermen, 
it  was  made  the  duty  of  the  householders  of  each  section  to  meet  on  the 
ensuing  first  Monday  in  September  at  such  place  as  the  Aldermen  should 
have  designated  and  given  notice  of;  and  when  thus  assembled  they  should 
agree  upon  the  most  available  site  for  the  location  of  a  schoolhouse.  If 
a  tie  resulted,  it  was  the  duty  of  the  Aldermen  living  outside  the  section  to 
cast  the  deciding  votes.  A  site  having  thus  been  chosen,  the  Aldermen 
were  at  once  to  proceed  to  have  a  school  house  erected,  kept  in  repair,  and 
rebuilt  when  necessary;  but  in  the  latter  case  the  householders  were  again 
to  assemble  and  determine  whether  this  should  be  upon  the  same  site 
or  another. 

When  the  house  was  ready  for  occupancy,  it  was  the  duty  of  the  Alder- 
men to  select  a  teacher  for  the  school  who  might  be  removed  by  them  for 
cause;  and  it  was  their  duty,  or  at  least  one  of  them,  to  "visit 
the  school  once  in  every  half  year  at  least,"  examine  the  pupils,  and 
superintend  the  conduct  of  the  teacher  in  everything  relative  to  his 
school,  in  which  the  law  declared  "there  shall  be  taught  reading,  writing, 
and  common  arithmetic;  and  all  free  children,  male  and  female,  resident 
within  the  respective  sections,  shall  be  entitled  to  receive  tuition  gratis, 
for  the  term  of  three  years;  and  as  much  longer  at  private  expense  as  their 
parents,  guardians,  or  friends  shall  think  proper."  The  expense  of 
building  the  house  and  the  salary  of  the  teacher  in  the  different  sections, 
was  defrayed  by  the  inhabitants  of  each  county  in  proportion  to  the 
amount  of  their  public  assessments  and  county  levies.  This  was  to  be  as- 
certained by  the  Aldermen  of  each  county  respectively,  and  to  be  collected 
by  the  sheriff  just  as  other  public  taxes  are  collected;  and  it  was  made  the 
duty  of  this  official  to  pay  all  school  money  to  the  Alderman.  Such  was 
Virginia's  first  Free  School  Law,  enacted  one  hundred  and  eight  years  ago, 
by  the  provisions  of  which,  schoolhouses  were  to  be  erected  and  teachers 
employed  at  public  expense;  and  all  children  were  to  have  three  years 
schooling,  tuition  gratis. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  27 

This  was  made  operative  from  and  after  the  first  day  of  January,  1797. 
As  stated  there  were  at  that  time  ten  of  the  present  West  Virginia  counties 
then  existing  and  they  covered  the  entire  area  of  the  present  State.  How 
many  of  them  put  into  force  and  operation  "The  Public  School  Law  of 
1796"  can  now  only  be  learned  by  investigation  and  research  among  the 
musty  and  dusty  records  of  more  than  a  century  ago.  But  action  was  taken 
by  at  least  some,  perhaps  all  of  them,  for  certain  it  is  that  at  the  beginning 
of  the  century  ensuing,  schools  were  established  here  and  there  over  West 
Virginia  where  there  was  a  sufficient  population.  The  Indian  wars  were 
past.  The  frightful  warwhoop  of  the  savage  was  no  more  heard  south 
of  the  Ohio;  and  these  frontiersmen,  brave  as  ever  dared  the  perils  of  the 
wilderness,  did  assemble,  select  sites,  and  provide  for  the  building  of 
schoolhouses,  whether  in  the  section  as  prescribed  by  the  "Law  of  1796," 
the  cost  of  erection  to  be  defrayed  by  taxation,  or  by  their  own  hands  and 
at  their  own  cost,  certain  it  is  that  they  were  provided  and  in  them  began 
a  system  of  schools  ante-dating  the  Louisiana  Purchase  and  the  admission 
of  Ohio  into  the  Union. 

THE  LITERARY  FUND  OF  VIRGINIA  AS  AN  EDUCATIONAL  FACTOB  IN  WEST  VIRGINIA 

We  are  now  to  make  inquiry  regarding  what  was  known  for  more  than 
fifty  years  as  the  "Literary  Fund  of  Virginia."  Prior  to  1776 — the  begin- 
ning of  the  Commonwealth — escheats,  penalties,  and  forfeitures  in  the 
Colony  went  to  the  King.  From  the  last  mentioned  date  to  1809 — a  period 
of  thirty-three  years — the  moneys  derived  from  these  sources  were  placed 
to  the  credit  of  the  General  State  Fund.  But  in  Section  1  of  Chapter  XIV 
of  the  Acts  of  1809,  it  was  provided  "That  all  escheats,  confiscations,  for- 
feitures, and  all  personal  property  accruing  to  the  Commonwealth  as 
derelict  and  having  no  rightful  owner,  which  have  accrued  since  the  sec- 
ond day  of  February  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  ten,  and  which 
shall  hereafter  accrue  to  the  Commonwealth,  be,  and  the  same  are  hereby 
appropriated  to  the  encouragement  of  learning;  and  that  all  militia  fines 
and  the  arrears  thereof,  due  to  the  Commonwealth  on  the  eleventh  day  of 
February,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  eleven,  and  thenceforth  accruing 
or  to  accrue,  be  also  and  the  same  are  hereby  appropriated  to  the  en- 
couragement of  learning. 

The  act  which  thus  created  the  "Literary  Fund"  declared  that  it 
should  "be  appropriated  to  the  sole  benefit  of  a  school  or  schools  to  be" 
kept  within  each  and  every  county  in  the  Commonwealth,  subject  to  such 
orders  and  regulations  as  the  General  Assembly  shall  hereafter  direct. 
And,  whereas,  the  object  aforesaid  is  equally  humane,  just  and  necessary, 
involving  alike  the  interests  of  humanity  and  the  preservation  of  the 
Constitution,  laws  and  liberty  of  the  good  people  of  this  Commonwealth; 
this  present  General  Assembly  solemnly  protests  against  any  other  appli- 
cation of  the  said  Fund  by  any  succeeding  General  Assembly  to  any  other 
object  than  the  education  of  the  poor." 

In  1810,  the  Auditor  of  Public  Accounts  was  directed  by  Act  of  the 
Assembly  to  open  an  account  to  be  designated  "The  Literary  Fund"  and  to 
place  to  its  credit  every  payment  made  on  account  of  any  of  the  escheats, 
confiscations,  forfeitures,  fines  and  penalties  appropriated  to  the  encour- 


30  HISTORY  or  EDUCATION 

tions  that  the  Literary  Fund  was  created,  and  it  became  a  mighty  educa- 
tional factor  despite  the  refusal  to  accept  its  benefactions  by  so  many  of 
those  for  whom  they  were  intended. 

A    VIEW    OF    EDUCATIONAL     CONDITIONS     IN     WEST     VIRGINIA    IN     1833 

A  view  of  educational  conditions  in  1833,  will  be  of  interest.  This  date 
has  been  selected  because  it  is  just  thirty  years  before  West  Virginia  was 
admitted  into  the  Union  and  that  period  may  be  said  to  have  been  the 
"boyhood  days"  of  the  men  who  made  the  State. 

The  Common  Primary  Schools  under  the  provisions  of  the  "Alder- 
manic  School  Laws  of  1796"  were  in  operation,  as  were  other  schools  of 
higher  order.  Joseph  Martin's  "Gazeteer  of  Virginia,"  published  at  that 
time  shows  that  schools  of  various  grades  existed  generally  throughout 
West  Virginia.  Of  the  many  he  mentions  a  few.  Evidence  the  following: 
At  Martinsburg  there  was  one  male  and  one  female  academy  and  three 
common  schools;  at  Wellsburg,  one  academy  in  which  were  taught  the 
Greek  and  Latin  languages,  with  three  female  and  one  male  English 
school;  at  Barboursville,  one  common  school;  at  Guyandotte,  one  primary 
school;  at  Anthony's  Creek,  three  common  schools;  at  Frankfort,  two  com- 
mon schools,  one  for  males  and  one  for  females;  at  Lewisburg,  one 
academy  and  one  common  school;  at  Cold  Stream  Mill,  one  classical  school; 
at  Springfield,  one  Seminary  in  which  were  taught  all  the  necessary 
branches  of  an  English  education;  at  Trout  Run,  one  common  school;  at 
Bridgeport,  one  common  school;  at  Clarksburg,  one  academy  and  two  com- 
mon schools;  at  Lewisport,  one  common  school;  at  Pruntytown,  one  com- 
mon school;  at  Shinnston,  one  common  school;  at  Ripley,  one  common 
school;  at  Ravenswood,  three  common  schools;  at  Charles  Town,  one 
academy  and  several  other  schools;  at  Harpers'  Ferry,  two  academies — • 
one  male  and  one  female — and  two  common  schools;  at  Middleway,  two 
common  schools;  at  Charleston  one  academy  and  one  infant  school — 
kindergarten,  the  first  in  the  State;  at  Buckhannon,  schools  taught  in 
the  winter;  at  Leading  Creek,  two  common  schools;  at  Weston,  one  com- 
mon school;  at  Ballardsville,  two  schools  in  which  were  taught  all  the 
branches  of  an  English  education;  at  Point  Pleasant,  one  common  school; 
at  Blacksville,  one  common  school;  at  Glenville,  one  common  school;  at 
Polsley's  Mills,  one  common  school;  at  Morgantown,  one  academy,  of  two 
departments  in  which  were  taught  the  languages,  painting,  drawing,  etc., 
and  one  common  school;  West  Liberty,  one  academy  and  two  common 
schools;  at  Huntersville,  one  school  in  which  the  ordinary  branches  of  an 
English  education  were  taught;  at  Brandonville  one  common  school;  at 
Beverly,  one  common  school;  at  Middlebourne,  one  common  school;  at 
Parkersburg,  three  common  schools. 

The  revenues  of  the  Literary  Fund,  which,  as  we  have  seen,  amounted 
at  this  time  to  more  than  a  million  and  a  half  of  dollars,  were  also  being 
used  to  advance  educational  interests.  There  were  then  twenty-four  of  the 
present  counties  of  West  Virginia  checkered  on  the  map  of  Virginia. 
These  were  Berkeley,  Brooke,  Cabell,  Fayette,  Greenbrier,  Hampshire, 
Hardy,  Harrison,  Jackson,  Jefferson,  Kanawha,  Lewis,  Logan,  Mason, 
Monongalia,  Monroe,  Nicholas,  Ohio,  Pendleton,  Preston,  Pocahontas,  Ran- 


WEST  VIRGINIA 


31 


dolph,  Tyler,  and  Wood.  The  operations  of  the  President  and  Directors 
of  the  Literary  Fund  for  the  year  1833,  may  be  seen  by  the  following  table 
in  which  is  shown  for  the  several  counties,  the  number  of  school  com- 
missioners, of  common  primary  schools,  of  poor  children,  of  poor  chil- 
dren sent  to  school,  the  aggregate  day's  attendance  of  poor  children  in 
school;  the  average  day's  attendance  at  school  of  each  poor  child,  the 
average  rate  of  tuition  per  diem  for  each  poor  child,  the  average  amount 
paid  from  the  Literary  Fund  for  each  poor  child,  and  the  total  amount  of 
expenditures  of  the  Fund  in  each  county. 


TABLE    SHOWING   SCHOOL    STATISTICS    BY    COUNTIES    IN    WEST 
VIRGINIA  SEPTEMBER  30,  1833. 


COUNTIES 

No.  of  School  Commis- 
sioners in  each  county. 

No.  of  common  primary 
schools  attended  by 
poor  children. 

No.  of  poor  children  in 
each  county. 

No.  of  poor  children 
sent  to  school. 

Aggregate*-  number  of 
days  attendance  of 
poor  children  at  sch'l. 

Average  number  of  days 

attendance  of  each 
poor  child  at  school. 

Rate  of  tuition  per  dirm 
in  each  county. 

Average  amount  paid 
from  literary  fund  for 
each  child.  || 

Total  amount  of  ex- 
penditures in  1833  for 
tuition  and  other  ex- 
penses in  each  county. 

Berkeley  .           

15 

34 

530 

349 

24.518 

70 

3& 

$  2  45 

$       854  14 

Brooke 

9 

29 

410 

268 

19  383 

72 

2% 

1  98 

530  13 

Cabell                 

7 

17 

200 

117 

6,399 

55 

4 

2  40 

287  76 

Fayette 

• 

Greenbrier.                     

10 

20 

500 

239 

21,106 

50 

4 

2  25 

537  90 

Hampshire 

H 

48 

800 

545 

22,  048 

40 

4 

1  67 

912  14 

Hardy   

15 

21 

250 

100 

7,646 

76 

4 

3  32 

332  23 

Harrison  . 

15 

86 

900 

754 

36,200 

48 

%ys 

1  29 

976  13 

* 

Jefferson  
Kanawha  
Lewis.          

14 
14 
9 

31 
24 
34 

350 
450 
500 

217 
298 
235 

17,105 
19,217 
11,654 

78 
64 
50 

4 
4 

zy> 

3  25 
2  73 
1  30 

705  26 
814  72 
304  99 

Logan 

* 

Mason  
Monongalia  
Monroe  
Nicholas  
Ohio  

9 
9 
11 

7 
10 

19 
80 
25 
18 
40 

175 
1,000 
450 
150 
500 

127 
637 
192 

99 

282 

6,697 
32,341 
10,454 
5,214 
23,032 

53 
51 
54 
52 

81 

% 

f, 

21-12 

2  23 
1  31 
2  05 

1  82 
1  84 

283  41 
889  15 
395  40 
179  80 
520  06 

Pendleton  . 

15 

36 

400 

856 

14  298 

40 

3M 

1  45 

515  43 

Preston  ... 
Pocahontas  
Randolph 

7 
5 
9 

23 
17 
22 

220 
120 
350 

190 
100 
197 

9,374 
6.018 

7  947 

49 
60 
40 

3 
3 
3% 

1  61 
2  11 
1  37 

306  14 
211  29 
280  H4 

Tyler  

11 

20 

450 

216 

10,  958 

51 

2 

1  20 

259  46 

Wood  . 

9 

34 

400 

288 

11  637 

40 

3 

1  27 

366  32 

Totals  ... 

678 

9  135 

5  816 

220  656 

$  10  454  42 

*  Reports  not  made  in  time  to  be  included  in  Auditor's  Report  for  the  year. 

From  the  foregoing  table,  it  appears  that  of  the  twenty-four  West 
Virginia  counties  then  existing,  twenty-one  made  reports  and  that  there 
were  in  these  from  five  to  fifteen  commissioners  in  each,  with  678  primary 
schools  attended  by  5,816  poor  children — the  beneficiaries  of  the  Literary 
Fund — that  they  were  present  220,656  days,  and  that  $10,454.42  was 
expended  in  payment  of  their  tuition  from  this  Fund.  If  the  reports  of 
the  other  three  counties — Fayette,  Jackson,  and  Logan — were  at  hand, 
these  several  numbers  would  be  considerably  increased.  Of  course,  this 
table  does  not  show  the  number  of  pupils  in  these  schools  whose  tuition 
was  paid  by  parents  or  guardians.  Neither  does  it  show  the  number  of 
schools  in  the  counties  at  which  no  poor  children  were  in  attendance. 


42  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

Joseph  Martin,  an  enthusiastic  Free  School  man,  writing  at  this  time, 
said:  "Experience  has  already  demonstrated  the  utility  of  even  the  ex- 
isting system,  and  thousands  who  must  have  groped  through  life  in  the 
darkness  of  ignorance,  have  had  the  cheering  light  of  knowledge  shed 
upon  them  by  means  of  the  Common  Primary  Schools." 

Successful  work  was  done  in  these  western  counties,  for  by  the 
census  of  1840  there  were  more  illiterate  white  persons  in  Virginia,  east 
of  the  Blue  Ridge  than  were  on  the  west  side  of  that  mountain  barrier. 

THE    GREAT    EDUCATIONAL    CONVENTION    OF    NORTHWESTERN    VIRGINIA,     HELD    AT 
CLARKSBURG,    SEPTEMBER,    1841. 

The  most  important  educational  meeting  ever  held  on  the  soil  of 
West  Virginia,  before  or  since,  assembled  in  the  Presbyterian  Church  at 
Clarksburg,  Harrison  county,  Virginia  (now  West  Virginia),  on  Wednes- 
day, September  8,  1841,  and  continued  in  session  three  days.  The  object 
was  to  take  such  action  as  would  induce  the  General  Assembly  to  enact 
laws  providing  for  the  establishment  of  a  Free  School  System.  There  were 
then  no  railroads  in  Northwestern  Virginia,  but  notwithstanding,  nineteen 
counties,  of  which  sixteen  were  of  those  now  in  West  Virginia,  were  repre- 
sented. These  were  Augusta,  Berkeley,  Braxton,  Brooke,  Cabell,  Frederick, 
Harrison,  Jackson,  Kanawha,  Lewis,  Mason,  Marshall,  Monongalia,  Ohio, 
Randolph,  Shenandoah,  Tyler,  Warren  and  Wood.  One  hundred  and  fif- 
teen delegates  were  present  at  the  opening  session,  and  numbers  of  others 
arrived  later.  The  body  was  called  to  order  by  Mr.  Z.  Jacobs,  of  Ohio 
county,  and  the  distinguished  George  Hay  Lee,  of  Harrison  county,  after- 
ward a  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  of  Virginia,  was  elected  President. 
He  was  escorted  to  the  Chair  by  Gideon  D.  Camden  of  Harrison  county, 
and  William  McConnell  of  Brooke.  Then  John  McWhorter,  of  Lewis 
county;  John  S.  Barnes,  of  Monongalia;  James  W.  McClemens,  of  Ohio; 
John  Parriott,  of  Marshall;  Joshua  Russell,  of  Tyler;  William  C.  Hay- 
mond,  of  Randolph;  Joseph  Johnson,  of  Harrison;  Albert  A.  Lewis,  of 
Braxton;  and  Josiah  M.  Steed,  of  Wood,  were  elected  Vice-Presidents. 
George  W.  Thompson,  of  Ohio  county;  James  H.  McMechen,  of  Harrison; 
James  Evans,  of  Monongalia,  and  Luther  Haymond  of  Harrison  were 
made  Secretaries.  Then  the  names  of  members  were  enrolled,  and 
among  them  were  many  distinguished  men.  There  sat  Hon.  James 
Points,  of  Augusta  county:  Caleb  Boggess,  Benjamin  Bassel,  Ephriam  Bee, 
William  A.  Harrison,  Charles  Lewis,  Eli  Marsh  and  David  Kincheloe,  of 
Harrison;  Thomas  Bland,  R.  W.  Lowther,  A.  G.  Reger,  and  Cabell  Taven- 
ner,  of  Lewis;  John  L.  Sehon,  of  Mason;  Elbert  H.  Hall,  of  Marshall; 
Zedekiah  Kid  well,  James  Evans,  and  George  McNeely,  of  Monongalia; 
William  Armstrong,  John  W.  Clemens,  Alexander  Newman  and  Thomas 
Townsend,  of  Ohio;  David  Holder,  James  H.  Logan,  Daniel  W.  Shertliff, 
of  Randolph;  John  Ireland,  James  Morris,  Presley  Martin,  and  John  Wells, 
of  Tyler;  Austin  Berkeley,  Lewis  Bond,  Thomas  Chancellor,  and  W.  M. 
Protzman,  of  Wood.  Benjamin  S.  Griffin  was  appointed  doorkeeper,  and 
the  Rules  and  Regulations  of  the  House  of  Delegates  of  Virginia  were 
adopted  for  the  government  of  the  Convention.  The  Ministers  of  the  town 
were  invited  to  open  the  sessions  with  prayer;  and  editors  of  newspapers 


WEST  VIRGINIA  33 

•were  admitted  to  seats  for  the  purpose  of  reporting  the  proceedings. 
Committees  on  Order  of  Business,  Resolutions,  etc.,  were  appointed.  Then 
the  real  work  of  the  Convention  began  and  continued  for  three  days  with 
evening  sessions.  Never  did  a  more  earnest  body  of  men  assemble  in  West 
Virginia  than  this,  nor  has  the  work  of  any  one  yielded  more  abundant 
fruit.  These  men  builded  better  than  they  knew.  Then  there  was  a  Free 
School  System  for  the  Commonwealth  in  which  all  children  should  be 
educated  without  distinction.  There  were  papers  read,  addresses  made, 
plans  submitted,  and  the  proceedings  published  in  pamphlet  form  under 
the  title  of  "A  Memorial  to  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State,  Requesting 
that  Body  to  Establish  a  More  Liberal  and  Efficient  Primary  or  Common 
School  System."  That  pamphlet  was,  and  still  is,  the  most  remarkable 
publication  to  be  found  in  the  educational  literature  of  the  Virginias.  The 
history  of  that  convention,  with  an  account  of  its  labors  and  notices  of  the 
men  composing  it,  would  fill  a  volume.  Will  not  some  school  man  of 
IVest  Virginia  write  it? 

THE  VIRGINIA   SCHOOL  LAW   OF   1846 

Thus  from  1833  to  1846 — a  period  of  thirteen  years — school  matters 
continued  without  change.  Full  fifty  years  had  come  and  gone  since  the 
introduction  of  the  Aldermanic  School  System  under  the  law  of  1796,  and 
now  this  was  to  be  remodeled.  On  the  5th  of  March,  1846,  the  General 
Assembly  passed  "An  Act  Amending  the  Present  Primary  School  System." 
Important  changes  were  made.  Now  it  was  made  the  duty  of  the  county 
court  of  each  county,  at  its  ensuing  October  term,  to  lay  off  according  to 
accurate  and  well  known  boundaries,  the  territory  of  the  county  into  any 
number  of  districts,  having  regard  to  the  territorial  extent  and  population 
of  the  same,  and  to  appoint  for  each  of  the  districts  one  school  commis- 
sioner. These,  when  appointed,  constituted  collectively  the  Board  of 
School  Commissioners  for  the  county.  It  was  to  meet  at  the  Court  House 
in  the  ensuing  November,  and,  having  organized,  proceed  to  elect  a  super- 
intendent of  the  schools  of  the  county,  who  should  execute  a  bond  payable 
to  the  directors  of  the  Literary  Fund,  and  who  should  perform  the  duties 
of  treasurer  and  clerk  of  the  board.  The  commissioner  of  each  district 
transacted  the  school  business  within  it;  registered  and  reported  to  the 
county  superintendent  all  the  children  within  his  district  between  the  ages 
of  five  and  sixteen  years;  entered  into  a  contract  with  the  teachers  of  his 
district  to  teach  a  number  of  indigent  children  as  many  days  as  his  dis- 
trict's proportion  of  the  county's  quota  of  the  Literary  Fund  would  pay  for, 
and  required  this  teacher  to  keep  an  accurate  acount  of  the  attendance  of 
such  children.  Reports  were  made  to  the  county  superintendent  who  kept 
a  record  of  all  the  children  enrolled  in  the  schools  of  his  county,  and  re- 
ported the  same  to  the  Board  with  such  information  as  he  deemed  useful 
to  it.  In  September  of  each  year  he  made  an  annual  report  to  the  Di- 
rectors of  the  Literary  Fund,  showing  his  receipts  and  disbursements,  the 
ages  and  sexes  of  the  children  of  the  county,  with  the  actual  number  of 
days  of  attendance  of  indigent  pupils,  and  the  amount  of  compensation 
per  diem  paid  to  teachers  for  their  instruction.  For  his  services,  he  re- 
ceived two  and  a  half  per  cent,  of  the  amount  passing  through  his  hands 


34  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

and  actually  expended  for  the  purposes  of  education.  This  law  was  in  no- 
wise an  improvement  .over  that  which  preceded  it.  It  was  the  continua- 
tion of  the  same  system  that  had  been  in  operation  for  more  than  fifty 
years,  but  under  changed  conditions,  and  it  was  not  to  end  until  civil  war 
came  to  desolate  the  land. 

"THE   OLD   FIELD    SCHOOLS" 

It  has  been  stated  that  these  Common  Primary  Schools  as  they  existed 
under  the  Law  of  1796  and  under  that  of  1846,  as  well,  came  to  be  known 
as  "Old  Field  Schools"  from  the  location  of  the  schoolhouses. 

THE   WEST   VIRGINIA    SCHOOLHOUSE    OF   THE   OLDEN    TIME 

No  matter  how  the  selection  of  a  site  was  made.  It  was  the  same. 
Down  on  the  broad  river  bottoms,  in  the  valleys  of  smaller  streams,  or 
among  the  hills  where  was  a  bubbling  spring  or  rippling  brook,  a  spot,  in 
juxtaposition  to  half  a  dozen  or  more  cabin  homes  was  agreed  upon  by  the 
heads  of  the  families  as  a  suitable  place  for  a  schoolhouse.  It  was  an  old 
"clearing"  which  tradition  said  was  made  by  a  man  who  was  killed  by  the 
Indians,  lost  in  the  woods  and  never  afterward  heard  of,  or,  tired  of  the 
wilderness,  had  gone  back  over  "the  Ridge" — the  Blue  Ridge. 

There,  on  the  margin  of  that  "improvement" — an  "old  field" — where 
half  a  dozen  paths  bisected,  with  the  primitive  forest  in  the  rear  and  the 
plat  of  wild  grass  and  tangled  weeds  in  front,  these  men — advance  guard 
of  civilization — reared  the  schoolhouse.  Rude  structure  it  was;  in  size, 
perhaps  16x18  feet;  the  walls  built  of  logs,  sometimes  hewn,  but  usually 
round,  and  from  eight  to  twelve  inches  in  diameter — the  interstices 
chinked  with  sticks  and  stones  and  daubed  with  clay;  the  roof  of  clap- 
boards held  in  place  by  heavy  weight  poles;  the  door  of  slabs  hung  on 
wooden  hinges;  the  floor,  if  any,  was  made  of  puncheons  split  from  the  body 
of  a  large  tree  and  hewn  so  as  to  have  somewhat  the  quality  of  smooth- 
ness; a  fireplace,  ample  as  that  of  an  ancient  baron,  spanned  over  half  of 
one  end  of  the  building  and  was  surmounted  by  a  "cat-and-clay"  chimney, 
not  unlike  a  tall  partridge  trap,  ever  tottering  to  its  fall.  Logs  ten  inches 
in  diameter,  split  in  halves,  and  pins  or  legs  inserted  in  the  oval  sides, 
answered  for  seats.  Along  the  side  of  the  wall  pins  were  inserted  and  on 
them  rested  a  broad  slab,  sloping  downward,  used  as  a  writing  desk;  just 
above  it,  a  log  was  chopped  out  and  in  its  place  was  a  long  frame-work 
resembling  sash  for  holding  a  single  row  of  panes  of  glass,  in  the  absence 
of  which,  greased  paper  was  sometimes  pasted  to  admit  the  light.  Such 
was  the  structure  in  which  was  taught  the  "old  field  school"  of  long  ago. 
It  was  used  alike  for  school  purposes  and  divine  worship,  and  in  neither 
was  it  void  of  results. 

THE    SCHOOL    AND    THE    SCHOOL   MASTER 

Autumn  came.  A  stranger  appeared  upon  the  scene  and  the  report 
went  from  cabin  to  cabin  that  there  was  a  school  master  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. Look  at  him.  He  is  clad  in  the  garb  of  the  border.  Whence  he 
came,  none  know.  He  brings  no  credentials  or  diploma  from  a  college 
faculty,  for  none  is  required.  It  is  only  necessary  that  he  teach  the  three- 


WEST  VIRGINIA  35 

R's — reading,  'riting  and  'rithmetic.  .He  binds  himself  to  do  this  in  his 
"article"  which  he  carries  from  house  to  house,  soliciting  subscriptions  to 
the  school  which  he  is  to  "keep"  for  so  much  a  "quarter"  and  "board 
'round" — that  is  with  the  pupils.  Then  he  goes  to  the  school  commissioner 
of  the  section  of  the  district,  who,  in  compliance  with  the  law  of  '96  or 
of  '46,  enters  into  a  contract  to  pay  from  his  quota  of  the  Literary  Fund 
the  Tuition  of  the  indigent  children  of  the  neighborhood.  Then  the  day  is 
announced  for  school  to  begin  and  it  is  understood  that  the  "master" 
will  board  the  first  week  at  John  Smith's  but  none  can  divine  where  he 
will  stay  the  next. 

Monday  morning  comes.  The  "master"  goes  early  and  with  the  aid 
of  one  of  Smith's  big  boys,  puts  on  a  "back-log,"  and  soon  a  fire  is  roaring 
on  the  hearth.  Then  the  boys  and  girls  for  half  a  dozen  miles  around  be- 
gin to  arrive.  William  Jones  cannot  come  this  week,  for  his  father  did  not 
get  his  shoes  made,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  leather  "stayed  green"  too 
long  in  the  tan  trough.  Bettie  Davis  is  not  there  either  for  her  mother  did 
not  get  her  linsey-woolsey  frock  made  in  time.  The  master,  meantime, 
has  been  making  preparations  for  the  "quarter"  by  cutting  a  bundle  of 
withes  in  the  forest  near  by.  All  is  in  readiness,  and  a  stentorian  voice 
from  the  door  cries  out  "Come  in  to  books."  In  they  go,  with  lunches  in 
chip  baskets  made  from  the  tough  splits  of  the  oak  or  hickory  of  the  hills. 
Under  the  arms  are  copies  of  the  "English  Reader"  and  Webster's  "Ele- 
mentary Speller."  And  now,  woe  be  to  the  one  who  provokes  the  wrath  of 
him  who  presides  over  this  temple  of  learning.  The  "quarter"  closes  in 
due  time;  the  master  collects  tuition  from  the  parents  who  are  able  to  pay 
this;  then,  with  sworn  statement  of  amount  due  for  teaching  the  in- 
digent children  he  proceeds  to  the  treasurer  of  the  county  school  com- 
missioners, from  whom  he  receives  this — then  goes,  perhaps  none  know 
where.  t 

Such  was  the  "jolly  old  pedagogue"  of  "ye  olden  time."  Many  of  them 
were  highly  educated  men  and  they  filled  their  mission  well.  In  that  "Old 
Field  Schoolhouse,"  we,  in  imagination,  see  one  of  them  yet.  Thought- 
fully he  stands  by  an  apperture  in  the  wall,  called  by  courtesy  a  window, 
either  mending  pens  or  making  new  ones  from  the  quills  from  the  wing  of 
the  goose,  the  wild  turkey  or,  perchance,  from  that  of  the  eagle — brave 
bird  of  the  mountain — for  some  of  the  dozen  flaxen-haired  urchins  some  of 
whom  are  afterward  to  be  the  boast  of  their  country,  or  the  warriors  or 
magistrates  of  embryo  states  in  the  West. 

THE    BOYS    AND    GIRLS    OF    THE    "OLD    FIELD    SCHOOLS" 

Statistics  of  these  times  show  that  tens  of  thousands  of  boys  and 
girls  attended  these  "Old  Field  Schools."  There  they  learned  discipline 
and  to  spell  and  read  and  write  and  cipher;  but  that  nobler  inde- 
pendent manhood  was  due  to  instruction  within  no  more  than  exercise 
without.  For  did  not  the  Romans,  even  the  wealthiest  of  them,  teach 
their  sons  and  daughters  to  be  tolerant  of  hunger  and  cold,  to  go  barefoot 
on  the  campus  and  to  swim  the  Tiber  in  January?  May  be  there  was 
not  enough  of  book  lore  in  these  Old  Field  Schools,  but  the  boys  had 
their  early  privileges  that  other  generations  have  not  had.  There  was 


36  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

the  brave  walk  through  the  sleet  and  the  snow;  the  game  of  hide-and- 
seek  among  the  chinquepin  bushes,  the  bull-pen-ball,  the  scramble  for 
the  wild  grapes,  the  chase  of  the  flying  squirrel  through  the  thickets  of 
laurel,  the  bloom  of  which  other  boys  and  girls  have  made  the  State 
flower;  the  climbing  high  among  the  limbs  to  dislodge  the  raccoon  from 
his  hole  in  the  black  gum  tree.  We  wonder  what  has  become  of  the 
boys  that  went  to  the  Old  Field  School  at  Bear  Creek,  Big  Bend,  Locust 
Knob,  Sugar  Camp  Hollow,  Deer  Creek,  and  a  thousand  other  places 
among  the  West  Virginia  hills.  Many  thousands  of  them  stayed  in  the 
land  of  their  nativity  and  they  and  their  descendants  became  the  home- 
builders  of  West  Virginia.  They  helped  to  shoot  barbarism  out  of  the 
Ohio  Valley.  Some  went  to  become  founders  of  other  states  and  to  never 
return.  Some  went  away  awhile  and  then  came  back  to  tell  of  steam- 
boats, and  Richmond  and  Pittsburg,  and  Cincinnati,  and  fireworks;  some 
warred  with  the  Briton  in  18121;  others  studied  war  with  Scott  and  Tay- 
lor in  Mexico.  But  others  went  to  make  names  that  are  long  to  last;  two 
early  governors  of  Ohio  attended  the  Old  Field  Schools  of  Berkeley 
Bounty;  Reuben  Chapman,  one  of  the  best  governors  Alabama  ever  had, 
was  a  .student  in  the  Old  Field  Schools  of  Randolph  county;  Jesse 
Quinn  Thornton,  who  wrote  the  first  constitution  of  Oregon  attended 
the  Old  Field  Schools  of  Mason  county;  Lorenzo  Waugh,  who  was  a  pupil 
in  an  Old  Field  School  in  Pocahontas  county,  then  taught  in  the  Old 
Field  Schools  of  Harrison  and  Mason  counties,  afterwards  gathered  the 
first  Methodist  congregation  ever  assembled  in  the  Sacramento  Valley; 
James  T.  Farley  studied  in  the  Old  Field  Schools  of  Monroe  county  then 
went  to  the  Pacific  Coast,  afterward  to  visit  the  home  of  his  childhood 
when  a  United  States  Senator  from  California;  Thomas  A.  Morris  at- 
tended an  Old  Field  School  in  Cabell  county  and  was  afterwards  a  distin- 
guished bishop  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church;  Thomas  and  Samuel 
Mullody  attended  the  Old  Field  Schools  of  Hampshire  county,  and  the 
former  served  two  years  as  the  tutor  of  the  crown  prince  of  Naples  and 
died  while  president  of  Georgetown  University;  the  latter,  at  the  time 
of  his  death  was  president  of  Worcester  College,  Massachusetts;  Stone- 
wall Jackson  attended  an  Old  Field  School  in  Lewis  county,  won  dis- 
tinction in  Mexico,  and  gave  up  his  life  at  Chancellorsville  for  the  Lost 
€ause;  Jesse  L.  Reno  attended  an  Old  Field  School  in  Ohio  county, 
achieved  honor  in  Mexico,  and  died  in  South  Mountain,  Maryland,  while 
gallantly  leading  the  Ninth  Army  Corps  in  battle  for  the  Union.  No,  these 
Old  Field  Schools  were  not  barren  of  results,  but  were  rather  a  mighty 
factor  in  civilization. 

WEST    VIRGINIA    ACADEMIES,    SEMINARIES,    AND    COLLEGES    OF    THE    OLDEN    TIME 

By  far  the  most  important,  the  most  potent  factors  in  early  educa- 
tional work  in  West  Virginia  were  the  many  academies  which,  as  char- 
tered institutions,  were  scattered  over  the  State,  and  whose  management 
and  control  were  in  the  hands  of  the  foremost  men  of  the  community,  who 
were  made  bodies  corporate  by  the  acts  of  the  General  Assembly  of 
Virginia. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  37 

We  have  seen  that,  for  a  series  of  years,  the  settlements  in  the 
Eastern  Pan-Handle  and  the  South  Branch  Valley  were  included  in 
Frederick  county  of  which  Winchester  early  became  the  seat  of  justice. 
This  town  was  the  chief  mart  of  trade  long  after  the  formation  of  Hamp- 
shire and  Berkeley  counties.  There,  for  many  years,  the  people  obtained 
their  supplies  of  merchandise,  and  there,  too,  their  sons  and  daughters 
were  first  offered  the  advantages  of  secondary  and  higher  education. 
In  the  Alexandria  Advertiser,  of  June  22,  1786— one  year  before  the  first 
newspaper  published  in  the  United  States  west  of  the  Blue  Ridge  made 
its  appearance — the  trustees  of  the  "Winchester,  Latin,  Greek,  and  Eng- 
lish Schools"  advertised  that  "having  elected  Mr.  Armstrong  and  Mr. 
Potter,  two  gentlemen  of  character  and  ability  to  take  charge  of  the 
institution,  we  do  hereby  give  notice  that  the  schools  will  open  on  the 
first  Monday  in  July.  They  set  forth  that  the  "climate  is  healthful,  the 
country  plentiful,  and  the  town  growing."  Such  was  the  first  classical 
school  of  the  Lower  Shenandoah  Valley  which  opened  its  doors  to  the 
young  men  and  women  of  what  is  now  the  eastern  part  of  West  Virginia. 

The  oldest  of  these  institutions  within  the  limits  of  the  State  was 
located  at  Shepherdstown,  now  in  Jefferson  county.  The  exact  date  of 
its  establishment  is  not  known,  but  it  antedated  the  Revolution.  Rever- 
end Robert  Stubbs,  who  on  the  3rd  day  of  December,  1787,  made  affidavit 
that  he  had  witnessed  the  test  trial  of  James  Rumsey's  steamboat,  on  the 
Potomac,  subscribed  himself  as  "Teacher  of  the  Academy  at  Shepherds- 
town." 

George  Washington  did  much  to  arouse  an  interest  in  secondary 
education  on  the  part  of  the  people  of  Virginia.  On  the  15th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1794,  while  President  of  the  United  States,  he  wrote  Edmond  Ran- 
dolph, the  Secretary  of  State,  upon  the  subject  of  higher  education,  and: 
said:  "It  has  always  been  a  source  of  serious  regret  to  me  to  see  the 
youth  of  these  United  States  sent  to  foreign  countries  for  the  purpose  of 
education,  often  before  their  minds  are  formed  or  they  have  imbibed  .any 
adequate  ideas  of  the  happiness  of  their  own;  contracting,  too  frequently, 
not  only  habits  of  dissipation  and  extravagance,  but  principles  unfriendly 
to  republican  government  and  to  the  true  and  genial  liberties  of  man- 
kind, which,  thereafter,  are  rarely  overcome." 

The  age  of  academies  in  the  Commonwealth  had  already  begun,  and 
was  long  to  continue.  In  the  following  partial  list  of  these  institutions 
in  West  Virginia,  the  number,  together  with  the  date  of  incorporation,  and 
place  of  establishment,  in  the  order  named,  are  given;  that  is  to  say: 

1.  The  Academy  of  Shepherdstown,  at  Shepherdstown,   in  Jefferson 
county,  incorporated   in   17 — . 

2.  The  Randolph   Academy,  at  Clarksburg,   in   Harrison   county,   in- 
corporated December  11,  1797. 

3.  The  Charles  Town  Academy,  at  Charles  Town,  in  Jefferson  county, 
incorporated  December  25,  1797. 

4.  The    Brooke    Academy,    at    Wellsburg,    in    Brooke    county,    incor- 
porated January  10,  1797. 

5.  The  Mount  Carmel   School,  at  West  Union,   in   Preston  county — 
then  Monongalia — established  in  1801. 


38  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

6.  The    Lewisburg   Academy,    at    Lewisburg,    in    Greenbrier    county, 
incorporated  in  1812. 

7.  The    Shepherdstown    Academy,    at    Shepherdstown,    in    Jefferson 
county,  incorporated  January  3,  1814. 

8.  The    Romney    Academy,    at    Romney,    in    Hampshire    county,    in- 
corporated February  11,  1814. 

9.  The    Lancasterian    Academy,    at   Wheeling,    in    Ohio    county,    in- 
corporated October  10,  1814. 

10.  The  Monongalia  Academy,  at  Morgantown,  in  Monongalia  county, 
incorporated  November  29,  1814. 

11.  The  Mercer  Academy,  in  Charleston,  Kanawha  county,  incorpo- 
rated November  29,  1818. 

12.  The  Union  Academy,  at.  Union,  in  Monroe  county,  incorporated 
January  27,  1820. 

13.  The  Martinsburg  Academy,  at  Martinsburg,  in  Berkeley  county, 
incorporated  January  28,  1822. 

14.  The    Romney    Classical    Institute,    at    Romney,    in    Hampshire 
county,  established  in  1824. 

15.  The    Tyler    Academy,    at    Middlebourne,    in    Tyler    county,    in- 
corporated January  30,  1827. 

16.  The  Wheeling  Academy,   at  Wheeling,   in  Ohio  county,   incorpo- 
rated February  21,  1827. 

17.  The   Romney   Academy,   at   Romney,   in   Hampshire   county,    in- 
corporated March  25,  1829. 

18.  The  Morgantown  Female  Seminary,  at  Morgantown,   in  Monon- 
galia county,  incorporated  March  23,  1831. 

19.  The    Seymour    Academy,    at    Moorefield,    in    Hardy    county,    in- 
corporated February  16,  1832. 

20.  The  Bolivar  Academy,  at  Bolivar,  in  Jefferson  county,   incorpo- 
rated February  16,  1832. 

21.  The  Red  Sulphur  Seminary,  at  Red  Sulphur  Springs,  in  Monroe 
county,  opened  April  15,  1832. 

22.  The  Charles  Town  Female  Academy,  at  Charles  Town,  in  Jeffer- 
son county,  incorporated  March  15,  1836. 

23.  The   Brickhead    and    Wells   Academy,    at    Sistersville,    in    Tyler 
county,  incorporated  January  18,  1837. 

24.  The  West  Liberty  Academy,  at  West  Liberty,   in   Ohio   county, 
incorporated  March  20,  1837. 

25.  The    Marshall    Academy,    at    Guyandotte — now    Huntington — in 
Cabell  county,  incorporated  March  13,  1838. 

26.  The  Western  Virginia  Education  Society,  at  Pruntytown,  in  Tay- 
lor county,  (then  Harrison),  incorporated  March  28,  1838. 

27.  The  Parkersburg  Academy  Association,  at  Parkersburg,  in  Wood 
county,  incorporated  April  5,  1838. 

28.  The  Morgantown  Female  Academy,   at  Morgantown,   in  Monon- 
galia county,  incorporated  January  30,  1839. 

29.  The  Cove  Academy,  at  Holliday's  Cove,  in  Hancock  county  (then 
Brooke),  incorporated  April  6,  1839. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  39 

30.  The  Bethany  College,  at  Bethany,  in  Brooke  county,  incorporated 
in  the  autumn  of  1840. 

31.  The    Preston    Academy,    at    Kingwood,    in    Preston    county,    in- 
corporated January  2,  1841. 

32.  The    Huntersville    Academy,     at    Huntersville,     in     Pocahontas 
Bounty,  incorporated  January  18,  1842. 

33.  The  Asbury  Academy,   at  Parkersburg,   in  Wood  county,   incor- 
porated February  8,  1842. 

34.  The  Little  Levels  Academy,  at  Hillsboro  in  Pocahontas  county, 
incorporated  February  14,  1842. 

35.  The  Rector  College,  at  Pruntytown,  in  Taylor  county,   incorpo- 
rated February  14,  1842. 

36.  The  Greenbank  Academy,  at  Greenbank,   in  Pocahontas  county, 
incorporated  March  26,  1842. 

37.  The  Northwestern  Academy,  at  Clarksburg,  in  Harrison  county, 
incorporated  March  26,  1842. 

38.  The  Brandon  Academy,  at  Brandonville,  in  Preston  county,  in- 
corporated March  27,  1843. 

39.  The  Weston  Academy,  at  Weston,  in  Lewis  county,  incorporated 
January  18,  1844. 

40.  The  Potomac   Seminary,  at  Romney,   in   Hampshire  county,   in- 
corporated December  12,  1846. 

41.  The    Male    and    Female    Academy    at    Buckhannon,    in    Upshur 
•county — then  Lewis — incorporated  February  1,  1847. 

42.  The  Lewis  County   Seminary,   at  Weston,   in  Lewis  county,   in- 
corporated March  20,  1847. 

43.  The  Marshall  Academy,  at  Moundsville,  in  Marshall  county,  in- 
corporated March  19,  1847. 

44.  The  Wheeling  Female   Seminary,  at  Wheeling,   in  Ohio  county, 
incorporated  January  24,  1848. 

45.  T,he   Buffalo   Academy,   at   Buffalo,    in   Putnam   county,   incorpo- 
rated March  16,  1849 

46.  The  Academy  of  the  Visitation,  at  Wheeling,  in  Ohio  county,  in- 
corporated March  14,  1850. 

47.  The  Jane  Lew  Academy,  at  Jane  Lew,  in  Lewis  county,  incorpo- 
rated March  16.  1850. 

48.  The  Wellsburg  Female  Academy,  at  Wellsburg,  in  Brooke  county, 
incorporated  March  17,  1851. 

49.  The    Meade    Collegiate    Institute,    at    or    near    Parkersburg,    in- 
corporated March  21,  1851. 

50.  The  South  Branch  Academical  Institute,  at  Moorefield,  in  Hardy 
county,  incorporated  March  31,  1851. 

51.  The    Fairmont   Academy,    at    Fairmont,    in   Marion    county,    in- 
corporated February  17,  18^2. 

52.  The  Wheeling  Female   Seminary,  at  Wheeling,   in  Ohio  county, 
incorporated  January  10,  1853. 

53.  The  West  Union  Academy,  at  West  Union,  in  Doddridge  county, 
incorporated  April  16,  1852. 


40  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 

54.  The  Morgan  Academy,  at  Berkeley  Springs,  in  Morgan  county, 
incorporated  January  10,  1853. 

55.  The  Logan  Institute,  at  Logan  Court  House,  in  Logan  county,  In- 
corporated February  21,  1853. 

56.  The  Ashton  Academy,  at  Mercer's  Bottom,  in  Mason  county,  in- 
corporated January  7,  1856. 

57.  The    Point    Pleasant    Academy,    at    Point    Pleasant,    in    Mason 
county,  incorporated  February  26,  1856. 

58.  The   Polytechnic  College,   at   Aracoma,   in   Logan   county,   incor- 
porated February  28,  1856. 

59.  The  Fairmont  Male  and  Female  Seminary,  at  Fairmont,  in  Mar- 
ion county,  incorporated  March  12,  1856. 

60.  The  Harper's  Ferry  Female  Institute,  at  Harper's  Ferry,  in  Jeffer- 
son county,  incorporated  March  18,  1856. 

61.  The   Woodburn    Female    Seminary,    at   Morgantown,    in    Monon- 
galia  county,  incorporated  January  4,  1858. 

62.  The  Lewisburg   Female   Institute,   at   Lewisburg,   in   Greenbrier 
county,  incorporated  April  7,  1858. 

63.  The  Levelton  Male  and  Female  College,  at  Hillsboro,  in  Pocahon- 
tas  county,  incorporated  February  27,  1860. 

64.  The  Union   College,   at   Union,   in   Monroe   county,    incorporated 
March  28,  1860. 

65.  The  Parkersburg  Classical  and   Scientific  Institute,   at  Parkers- 
burg,  in  Wood  county,  incorporated  March  18,  1.861. 

OBSERVATIONS 

West  Virginia  was,  indeed,  a  land  of  academies.  A  few  of  these 
named  did  but  little  or  no  work,  but  nearly  all  of  them  were  as  beacon 
lights  of  education  set  among  the  hills  and  valleys  of  the  State.  Shep- 
herdstown  Academy  did  nearly  a  hundred  years  of  educational  work. 
Randolph  Academy  was  the  first  institution  of  learning  established  west 
of  the  Allegheny  mountains;  it  had  among  its  first  board  of  twenty- 
eight  trustees  Edmund  Randolph,  Benjamin  Harrison,  George  Mason 
and  Patrick  Henry,  and  as  part  of  its  revenues  it  received  one-eighth  of 
the  surveyor's  fees  of  the  counties  of  Harrison,  Monongalia,  Ohio  and 
Randolph,  which  sums  had  been  paid  formerly  to  the  support  of  the  col- 
lege of  William  and  Mary.  The  act  declared  that  the  school  was  estab- 
lished for  the  benefit  of  the  people  of  these  four  counties,  which  then  em- 
braced all  of  what  is  now  West  Virginia  north  of  the  Little  Kanawha 
river.  George  Gowers,  a  graduate  of  Oxford,  England,  was  its  first  prin- 
cipal, and  for  twenty  years  he  taught  Latin,  Greek,  Hebrew,  and  the 
sciences  within  its  walls.  Its  work  extended  over  more  than  fifty  years 
and  among  its  teachers  in  1830-40  was  Francis  H.  Pierpont,  afterward 
Governor  of  Virginia  under  the  Reorganized  Government.  Charles  Town 
Academy  was  long  a  center  of  learning  and  prepared  young  men  to  enter 
William  and  Mary  College  and  other  institutions  of  high  order.  Brooke 
Academy  began  its  work  in  1778 — twenty-two  years  before  the  date  of  its 
incorporation — and  was  the  earliest  institution  of  learning  on  the  Ohio 
river  south  of  Pittsburg.  In  1843,  it  had  a  president,  four  members  in  its 


SCHOOL  HOUSES  OF  FORMER  YEARS,  BUT  IN  MANY  OF  THESE  LOG  BUILDINGS 
GOOD  WORK  WAS  DONE. 


WEST  VIRGINIA.  41 

faculty,  and  a  hundred  students.  After  a  successful  career  of  more  than 
half  a  century  it  was  merged,  in  1852,  into  Meade  Collegiate  Institute. 
The  Mount  Carmel  School,  after  doing  forty-eight  years  work,  lost  its 
building  by  fire  and  was  then  removed  to  another  locality.  The  Linsly 
Academy  was  opened  in  1808— four  years  before  the  date  of  its  incorpora- 
tion. It  was  a  noted  center  of  education  and  culture  for  more  than  fifty 
years  and  from  its  halls  went  forth  many  legislators,  great  debaters, 
scientists  and  soldiers  who  made  lasting  names.  The  Lancasterian 
Academy  was  the  beginning  of  the  Linsly  Institute  at  Wheeling,  still  a 
flourishing  institution  of  learning  after  a  successful  career  of  almost  a 
hundred  years.  The  Monongalia  Academy  was  for  many  years  the  most 
flourishing  institution  of  learning  on  the  banks  of  the  Monongahela 
river  and,  in  1867,  its  property,  including  that  of  Woodburn  Seminary, 
the  whole  valued  at  $51,000,  was  donated  to  the  State  by  the  people  of 
Morgantown  in  consideration  of  the  location  of  the  University  at  that 
place.  Mercer  Academy  did  more  than  all  things  else  to  mold  the  educa- 
tional sentiment  of  the  Great  Kanawha  Valley  nearly  a  century  ago,  and 
forty-six  years  of  successful  work  is  to  be  placed  to  its  credit.  Its  prop- 
erty passed  to  the  Board  of  Education  under  the  Free  School  System,  and 
one  of  the  present  school  buildings  of  Charleston  bears  the  name  of  Mercer 
in  commemoration  of  the  old  academy.  In  the  Martinsburg  Gazette  of 
January  10,  1812,  Obed  White,  and  David  Hunter,  trustees,  advertised  the 
Martinsburg  Academy  as  a  school  of  very  high  order.  John  B.  Hoge 
was  the  instructor  in  Greek  and  Latin  and  the  tuition  was  $20.00  per 
annum.  The  Romney  Classical  Institute  exerted  a  great  influence  upon 
the  educational  work  of  the  South  Branch  Valley  for  nearly  sixty  years 
and  its  property — a  valuable  one — was,  in  1870,  donated  to  the  State 
of  West  Virginia  in  consideration  of  the  location  of  the  Schools  for  the 
Deaf  and  the  Blind  at  Romney.  The  course  of  study  in  the  Red  Sul- 
phur Seminary  embraced  the  ancient  languages  and  mathematics  and 
with  William  Burk  as  principal  and  James  MaCauley,  assistant,  the  in- 
stitution did  many  years  of  excellent  work.  The  Seymour  Academy  was 
long  the  pride  of  Moorefield  and  the  Upper  South  Branch  Valley.  The 
West  Liberty  Academy  began  its  work  in  1837;  lost  its  building  by  fire 
in  1840,  but  was  rebuilt  and  made  the  old  town  famous  for  many 
years.  In  1870,  it  was  sold  to  the  State  of  West  Virginia  for  $6,000  and 
became  the  nucleus  of  the  Branch  of  the  State  Normal  School.  Marshall 
Academy  was  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  the  most  famous  institution  of 
learning  in  Western  Virginia.  Soon  after  it  was  opened,  two  boys — 
students — climbed  high  up  among  the  branches  of  an  old  beech  tree  in 
the  yard  and  carved  their  names  in  its  smooth  bark;  one  of  them  was 
afterward  the  first  adjutant-general  of  West  Virginia  and  long  a  judge 
of  her  courts;  the  other  became  a  judge  of  the  court  of  appeals  of 
Louisiana.  In  1850,  the  Academy  was  changed  into  Marshall  College, 
and  in  1867,  the  Cabell  county  authorities  gave  its  property  worth 
$10,000  to  West  Virginia,  thus  securing  the  location  of  the  State  Normal 
School  at  that  place.  Rector  College,  a  Baptist  institution  at  Pruntytown, 
had  its  beginning  in  the  Western  Virginia  Educational  Society  of  that 
place,  which  was  incorporated  March  28,  1838.  In  1849,  the  Assembly 


42  HISTOBY  OF  EDUCATION. 

provided  that  scholarships  might  be  established  in  this  institution,  which, 
in  1850,  had  three  professors  in  its  faculty,  fifty  students,  and  a  library  of 
two  thousand,  five  hundred  volumes.  Bethany  College,  whose  history 
is  forever  associated  with  the  name  of  Alexander  Campbell,  the  illustri- 
ous founder  of  the  Church  of  the  Disciples  of  Christ,  is  the  oldest  among 
forty  or  fifty  institutions  of  learning  of  that  denomination.  Under  the 
name  of  Buffalo  Academy,  it  did  eighteen  years  of  work  before  being 
erected  into  a  College.  So  that  eighty  years  is  the  measure  of  its  use- 
fulness in  education  in  West  Virginia.  By  an  act  of  Assembly  in  1849, 
it  was  provided  that  scholarships  might  be  created  in  this  institution. 
The  Little  Levels  Academy  accomplished  eighteen  years  of  work  among 
the  mountains  and  in  the  valleys  of  Pocahontas  county,  and  then  its 
property  was  transferred  to  the  Board  of  Education  under  the  Free 
School  System.  The  Preston  Academy  began  its  work  under  the  adminis- 
tration of  Doctor  Alexander  Martin,  who  was  afterward  the  first  presi- 
dent of  the  West  Virginia  University,  and  it  was  long  a  power  for  good. 
The  Northwestern  Virginia  Academy  at  Clarksburg,  a  Methodist  institu- 
tion, had  for  its  first  principal  the  distinguished  Gordon  Battelle,  whose 
successor  was  Doctor  Martin,  who  came  from  Kingwood  for  the  purpose; 
and  he  in  turn  was  succeeded  by  Doctor  William  Ryland  White,  who  had 
served  twelve  years  when  he  was  elected  first  State  Superintendent  of 
Free  Schools  of  West  Virginia.  The  Academy  building  was  erected  in 

1842,  and  the  school  at  once  took  a  high  rank.     In   1849,   the   General 
Assembly  provided   that  scholarships  might  be  established   therein.     In 

1843,  Henry  Howe,  the  historian,  found  a  flourishing  academy  at  Holli- 
day's  Cove,  in  Brooke  county.     The  Male  and  Female  Academy  at  Buck- 
hannon   did   much   to   create   the   splendid   educational    sentiment   which 
for  a  half  a  century  has  prevailed  in  that  locality,  and  to  a  greater  extent 
now  than  ever  before.     The  Potomac  Seminary — now  the  Potomac  Acad- 
emy— still   continues   its  good   work   begun   at   Romney   fifty-seven   years 
ago.     The  Lewis  county  Seminary  was  so  successful  that  after  ten  years 
its  name  was  changed  and  it  was  by  act  of  Assembly  erected  into  Weston 
College.     The  Wheeling  Female  Seminary  was  long  under  the  manage- 
ment of  Mrs.  S.  B.  Thompson  and  was  very  successful.     In  1855,  it  was 
occupying  its  own  building  erected  at  a  cost  of  $20,000.    In  addition  to  the 
regular  academic  course,  full  instruction  was  given  in  music,  drawing, 
and  modern  languages;   the  faculty  then  consisted  of  seven  accomplished 
teachers.     Throughout  all  the  years  since  then  the  institution  has  been 
fulfilling  its  mission  and  the  citizens  of  Wheeling  are  proud  of  it  today. 
Buffalo  Academy  made  an  excellent  record  in  the  Great  Kanawha  Valley 
as  a. school  of  high  grade,  and  then  its  property  was  sold  to  the  board 
of  education  under  the  Free  School  System.     The  Meade  Collegiate   In- 
stitute was  removed  from  Parkersburg  to  Wellsburg  where  it  became  the 
successor  of  Brooke  Academy  and  did  good  work.     The  Academy  of  the 
Visitation  began  its  work  at  the  corner  of  Eoff  and  Fourteenth  Streets  in 
Wheeling,  in  1848,  and  there  continued  until  1865,  when  it  was  removed 
to  Mount  De  Chantal,  an  eminence  in  Pleasant  Valley  two  miles  east  of 
Wheeling,    where   for   about   forty   years    it   has   continued    to   train   its 
students  for  the  highest  duties  of  life.     Fifty-five  years  spans  its  period 


WEST  VIRGINIA.  43 

of  work.  The  Fairmont  Academy  and  the  Fairmont  Male  and  Female 
Seminary  did  thorough  work  and  paved  the  way  for  the  location  of  the 
Branch  of  the  State  Normal  School  at  that  place.  The  Lewisburg  Female 
Institute  has,  for  forty-five  years,  been  earning  the  splendid  reputation 
and  large  patronage  it  now  enjoys.  West  Union  Academy  did  eight  years 
work  and  the  property  was  then  sold  by  its  board  of  trustees.  The  South 
Branch  Academical  Institute,  the  Morgan  Academy,  the  Point  Pleasant 
Academy  and  others  had  accomplished  successful  work  and  were  still 
engaged  in  it  in  1860. 

These  academies,  seminaries,  and  colleges  had  resulted  in  great  good 
and  had  done  much  to  create  an  interest  in  secondary  and  higher  educa- 
tion. Many  hundreds  of  young  men  had  gone  forth  from  them  in  quest 
of  that  learning  that  was  to  fit  them  for  the  highest  callings  in  life. 
From  the  Eastern  Pan-Handle  and  the  Greenbrier  Region  some  went  to 
the  University  of  Virginia  at  Charlottesville,  or  Washington  College  at 
Lexington.  From  the  northern  part  of  the  State  some  went  to  Uniontown 
College,  or  Washington  College,  Pennsylvania.  While  from  the  Great 
Kanawha  Valley  and  the  counties  lying  along  the  Ohio  river,  others  went 
to  the  Ohio  University  at  Athens. 

Such,  in  brief,  is  the  story  of  early  educational  work  in  West  Vir- 
ginia; and  such  with  the  Old  Field  Schools  in  vogue  and  her  many 
splendid  academies,  were  her  educational  facilities  in  1860.  In  1848, 
John  G.  Jacob,  then  among  the  foremost  literary  men  of  Western  Vir- 
ginia, when  writing  of  educational  matters,  said:  Under  the  General 
Law  of  Virginia,  which  makes  quite  liberal  provision  for  Common  school 
education,  though  clogged  with  provisions  which  render  it  distasteful  to 
the  class  it  is  intended  to  benefit,  the  facilities  for  acquiring  a  com- 
mon school  education  are  good,  and  where  there  is  a  disposition,  there  is 
abundant  opportunity.  West  Virginia  people  had  made  the  most  of 
their  opportunities,  but  they  anxiously  sought  something  better  than 
they  had  known,  and  this  was  near  at  hand." 

A  NEW  ERA  IN  EDUCATIONAL  WORK  IN   VIRGINIA FIRST   FREE   SCHOOLS   IN   WEST 

VIRGINIA 

If  we  would  Itarn  of  the  origin  of  popular  education  in  West  Virginia 
we  must  return  to  the  year  1846,  which  marks  an  era  in  the  annals  of 
Virginia.  We  have  seen  how  the  Aldermanic  School  Law  was  amended 
that  year  and  the  operation  of  the  Common  Primary  School  System 
changed.  Almost  from  the  foundation  of  the  Commonwealth  there  had 
been  in  it  many  men  who  were  advocates  of  a  Free  School  System. 
Prominent  among  these  were  John  Burk,  the  historian,  Thomas  Jeffer- 
son, Joseph  Martin  and  James  McDowell.  The  number  increased  as  the 
years  went  by  and  the  school  men  were  hoping  for  something  better  in 
education  than  the  Commonwealth  had  yet  known. 

Prompted  by  this  desire,  a  large  number  of  them  assembled  in  Rich- 
mond in  December,  1845,  for  the  purpose  of  discussing  the  bringing  before 
the  Assembly  a  bill  providing  for  a  Free  School  System.  Governor  James 
McDowell  voiced  the  sentiment  of  this  Convention  and  in  an  eloquent  ad- 
dress before  it,  he,  after  describing  existing  conditions,  said:  "We  trust 


44  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 

that  we  shall  soon  be  delivered  from  this  dominion  of  darkness,  that  we 
shall  never  be  contented  until  every  child  can  read  and  write,  and  every 
darkened  understanding  be  illumined  with  the  benign  influence  of  educa- 
tion." 

An  Act  for  the  Establishment  of  a  District  Public  School  System, 
Under  this  title  these  people  had  a  bill  prepared  and  it  was  enacted  into  a 
law  March  5,  1846.  It  provided  that  upon  the  petition  of  one-third  of  the 
qualified  voters  of  the  county  to  the  court  thereof,  that  body  should  submit 
to  the  voters  thereof,  the  question  of  a  "District  Public  School  System"; 
and  if  it  appeared  that  two-thirds  of  the  votes  cast  at  such  an  election 
favored  such  a  system,  it  should  be  adopted.  Its  principal  provisions  were: 
That  the  school  commissioners  in  office  in  any  couniy  at  the  time  of  its- 
adoption,  should  divide  the  county  into  precincts,  each  containing  as  many 
school  districts  as  might  be  thought  convenient;  that  each  school  district 
should  contain  a  sufficient  number  of  children  to  make  up  a  school;  that 
in  each  precinct  there  should  be  annually  elected  a  school  commissioner; 
and  that  the  commissioners  thus  chosen  in  the  several  precincts  should  be 
a  body  corporate  under  the  name  of  the  Board  of  School  Commissioners  for 
the  county;  that  it  should  appoint  a  clerk  whose  salary  should  not  exceed 
one  hundred  dollars  per  annum;  that  in  each  school  district  three  trustees 
should  be  appointed,  who  should  purchase  a  site,  erect  a  good  and  suffi- 
cient schoolhouse,  furnish  the  school  with  proper  fixtures,  books,  appa- 
ratus and  fuel,  and  keep  the  house  and  enclosure  in  good  repair;  that  they 
should  then  employ  a  teacher  for  the  school  and  have  power  to  remove  him 
for  good  cause;  that  no  teacher  should  be  employed  by  them  whose  qualifi- 
cations for  teaching  and  whose  moral  character  had  not  been  examined  and 
approved  by  the  school  commissioners  or  by  some  person  or  persons 
deputed  by  them  for  that  purpose,  and  a  certificate  to  that  effect  presented 
to  the  trustees.  They,  or  one  of  them,  were  to  visit  the  school  once  in  every 
month,  and  examine  the  scholars  and  address  the  pupils  if  they  saw  fit  and 
exhort  them  to  prosecute  their  studies  diligently.  They  might  suspend  or 
expel  all  pupils  who  were  found  guilty  of  grossly  reprehensible  conduct, 
or  incorrigibly  bad  habits.  Annually  they  were  to  make  <a  report  to  the 
Board  of  Commissioners  of  the  condition,  operation,  and  expense  of  the 
school.  It  was. further  provided  that  the  expense  of  purchasing  a  site, 
of  building,  renting,  or  leasing  and  repairing  the  schoolhouses  of  the 
several  districts  and  furnishing  them  with  necessary  seats,  desks,  fixtures 
and  books,  and  the  salaries  of  teachers  was  to  be  defrayed  by  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  county  by  a  uniform  rate  of  taxation  to  be  collected  as  other 
taxes  are  collected.  To  this  fund  was  to  be  added  the  quota  of  the  county 
due  from  the  Literary  Fund.  All  children  over  six  years  of  age  were 
entitled  to  attend  these  schools  free  of  charge— a  free  school  system. 

i 

AN    ACT    TO    ESTABLISH    DISTRICT    FREE    SCHOOLS    IN    SEVERAL    OF    THE    COUNTIES 

| 

K'  The  fatal  defect  of  the  District  Free  School  System  just  mentioned, 
was  that  it  required  a  petition  signed  by  one-third  of  the  voters  of  the 
county  before  the  question  of  its  adoption  could  be  submitted,  and  a  two- 
thirds  vote  to  adopt  it.  Free  School  men  in  the  Legislature  saw  this  and 


WEST  VIRGINIA.  45 

on  the  25th  of  February,  1846,  secured  the  passage  of  a  special  act  which 
prescribed  a  system  of  free  schools  to  be  optional  for  sixteen  counties  of  the 
State,  among  them  being  the  West  Virginia  counties  of  Brooke,  Jefferson 
and  Kanawha.  Elections  were  to  be  held  on  Thursday,  April  23,  1846,  or, 
if  there  was  not  sufficient  time  for  this,  an  election  might  be  held  on  April 
22,  1847.  "Do  you  vote  for  the  Free  School  or  against  it?"  This  was  the 
question  asked  the  voter.  It  required  a  two-thirds  vote  to  adopt  it.  This 
act  embodied  many  of  the  provisions  of  the  General  Law  noticed  last 
above.  The  Board  of  Commissioners  organized  by  electing  a  president  and 
secretary,  the  latter  of  whom  i-:ceived  /twenty-five  dollars  per  annum. 
Schoolhouses  were  to  be  erected;  seats,  desks,  and  books  supplied,  teachers 
employed,  and  in  the  schools  provided  were  to  be  thoroughly  taught  read- 
ing, writing,  arithmetic,  English  grammar  and  geography,  and  whenever  it 
was  practicable,  history,  especially  of  Virginia  and  the  United  States,  and 
the  elements  of  physical  science,  and  such  other  and  higher  branches  as  the 
school  commissioners  might  direct.  All  white  children,  male  and  female* 
between  the  ages  of  five  and  twenty-one  years,  resident  within  the  districts, 
were  entitled  to  receive  instructions  at  these  schools  free  of  charge.  The 
total  expense  of  these  county  schools  was  to  be  defrayed  as  follows:  First. 
By  the  quota  of  the  county  from  the  Literary  Fund.  Second.  Interest  on 
the  Glebe  Land  Fund,  if  any.  Third.  By  fines  and  forfeitures.  Fourth. 
By  donations,  bequests,  and  devises.  Fifth,  By  assessment  upon  the  same 
subjects  of  taxation  from  which  the  revenue  of  the  State  was  raised. 

Such  was  the  special  Free  School  System  offered  by  the  State  of  Vir- 
ginia to  West  Virginia  counties  in  1846.  The  three  cf  these  named  in  the 
act — Brooke,  Jefferson,  and  Kanawha — each  voted  upon  the  question  of 
adoption  in  1847.  The  first  rejected  it  while  both  the  others  adopted  it. 
Various  other  counties  west  of  the  mountains,  within  the  next  few  years, 
voted  upon  the  adoption  of  the  General  Free  School  Law,  or  the  special  act 
embracing  its  chief  provisions.  Marshall  county  rejected  one  of  these  in 
1854;  Hancock  took  similar  action  the  next  year;  then  Cabell  and  Wayne 
voted  a  proposition  to  adopt  a  system  prescribed  for  Patrick  county.  Thus 
it  was  that  in  1860  but  three  counties  west  of  the  mountains — that  is  in 
West  Virginia — had  free  schools. 

A   WEST   VIRGINIA   FREE    SCHOOL   SYSTEM 

West  Virginia  was  admitted  into  the  Union  June  20,  1863.  With  the 
rise  of  the  New  State  came  a  Free  School  System  such  as  the  school  men 
within  its  limits  had  longed  to  see. 

The  first  step  leading  to  the  inauguration  of  this  system  was  taken 
on  the  27th  day  of  November,  1861,  when  Honorable  John  Hall,  of  Mason 
county,  President  of  the  first  State  Constitutional  Convention,  sitting  at 
Wheeling,  named  a  committee  on  education  consisting  of  Gordon  Battelle, 
of  Ohio  county;  William  E.  Stevenson,  of  Wood  county;  Robert  Hager,  of 
Boone  county;  Thomas  Trainer,  of  Marshall  county;  James  W.  Parsons,  of 
Tucker  county;  William  Walker,  of  Wyoming  county,  and  George  Sheetz, 
of  Hampshire  county.  Gordon  Battelle,  chairman  of  the  committee,  was  a 
Methodist  minister  who  had  been  principal  of  the  old-  Northwestern 


46  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 

Academy  at  Clarksburg  for  twelve  years,  and  one  of  his  associates,  William 
E.  Stevenson,  was  afterward  second  governor  of  the  State.  These  gentle- 
men went  to  work  energetically  and  the  committee  made  its  preliminary 
report  on  Wednesday,  January  2'2,  1862,  and  a  most  interesting  document 
it  was.  The  amended  and  final  report  was  made  February  4,  ensuing. 
These  two  reports  contained  almost  every  provision  that  was  afterward  in- 
corporated into  the  General  School  Law  of  the  State  and  from  them  were 
taken  the  sections  relating  to  education  which  were  inserted  in  the  first 
Constitution  as  framed  at  that  time.  The  chief  of  these  provisions  were 
those  providing  for  an  "In vested  or  Irreducible  School  Fund";  for  "the 
establishment  and  support  of  a  thorough  and  efficient  system  of  Free 
Schools;"  for  "the  election  of  a  General  Superintendent  of  Free  Schools; 
for  a  "county  superintendent  of  each  county";  and  for  the  election  of  such 
other  officers  as  should  be  necessary  to  render  the  system  effective."  Thus 
was  a  public  school  system  fixed  firmly  in  the  organic  law  of  the  State. 

The  Constitution  was  ratified,  and  on  the  20th  of  June,  1863,  the  state- 
hood of  West  Virginia  began.  On  that  day  the  first  Legislature  of  West 
Virginia  assembled,  and  on  Wednesday,  June  24th, — four  days  later — Hon. 
John  M.  Phelps,  another  Mason  county  man,  who  had  been  elected  Presi- 
dent of  the  Senate,  then  sitting  in  the  Linsly  Institute  at  Wheeling,. 
appointed  a  Senate  Committee  on  Education  consisting  of  John  H.  Atkin- 
son, of  Hancock  county;  Thomas  K.  McCann,  of  Greenbrier  county;  John 
B.  Bowen,  of  Wayne  county;  Chester  D.  Hubbard,  of  Ohio  county,  and 
William  E.  Stevenson,  of  Wood  county.  At  the  same  time,  Spicer  Patrick,  of 
Kanawha  county,  speaker  of  the  House  of  Delegates,  appointed  a  House 
Committee  on  Education  composed  of  A.  F.  Ross,  of  Ohio  county;  S.  R. 
Dawson,  of  Ritchie  county;  G-eorge  C.  Bowyer,  of  Putnam  county;  Daniel 
Sweeney,  of  Tyler  county;  and  Thomas  Copley,  of  Wayne  county.  The 
joint  work  of  these  two  committees  was  the  first  school  law  of  the  State, 
known  as  Chapter  CXXXVII  of  the  Acts  of  1863,  passed  December  10  of 
that  year,  and  entitled  "An  Act  providing  for  the  Establishment  of  a 
System  of  Free  Schools."  It  was  largely  the  work  of  Mr.  Ross  of  the 
House  Committee,  who  was  himself  an  efficient  and  experienced  teacher 
who  had  served  sixteen  years  as  Professor  of  Ancient  Languages  in 
Bethany  College,  and  later  as  principal  of  West  Liberty  Academy.  Under 
this  law  our  school  system  had  its  origin  and  first  years  of  development. 

This  law  provided  for  the  election  of  a  State  Superintendent  of  Free 
Schools  by  the  joint  vote  of  both  branches  of  the  Legislature  and  this 
occurred  on  the  first  day  of  June,  1864,  when  William  Ryland  White  was 
elected  for  a  term  of  two  years.  He  took  the  oath  of  office  and  entered 
upon  the  discharge  of  his  duties.  Thus  the  Free  School  System  of  the 
State  began  to  be. 

THE    BEGINNING    OF    THE    SYSTEM 

Superintendent  White  went  to  work  energetically  to  put  the  system 
into  operation  and  so  well  did  he  do  this  that  he  won  for  himself  the  title 
of  "The  Horace  Mann  of  West  Virginia."  County  organization,  of  which 
the  State  is  since  justly  proud,  was  speedily  effected.  Then  the  friends  of 
education  saw  that  the  crying  need  of  the  Public  School  System  was  a 


WEST  VIRGINIA.  47 

corps  of  trained  and  educated  teachers,  and  that  the  development  of  the 
"thorough  and  efficient  system  of  free  schools,"  contemplated  by  the  Con- 
stitution, must  wait  the  establishment  of  Normal  Schools  and  higher  insti- 
tutions of  learning.  State  Superintendent  White  led  in  the  movement  to 
secure  these  and  with  his  accustomed  energy  pressed  the  matter  upon  the 
Legislature.  So  much  in  earnest  was  he  that  he  declared  to  that  body  that 
"It  would  be  better  to  suspend  the  schools  of  the  State  for  two  years  and 
donate  the  entire  school  revenues  for  that  time  to  the  establishment  and 
endowment  of  a  State  Normal  School  than  to  have  none  at  all."  Here,  as 
in  the  field  of  public  primary  schools,  his  efforts  were  crowned  with  suc- 
cess, and  the  year  1867,  witnessed  provisions  made  for  not  only  one  Normal 
School  but  for  three,  one  of  which  was  at  West  Liberty,  another  at  Fair- 
mont, and  a  third  at  Guyandotte — now  Huntington.  But  this  was  not  the 
only  result  of  the  efforts  of  Superintendent  White  and  other  school  igpn  in 
this  direction,  for  in  1872,  three  other  Normal  Schools  were  added  to  the 
list — one  at  Shepherdstown,  a  second  at  Glenville,  and  a  third  at  Concord — 
now  Athens. 

The  State  Normal  School  with  its  five  branches  thus  enumerated  has 
wrought  a  mighty  work  for  West  Virginia.  All  now  have  splendid  build- 
ings with  excellent  equipment,  libraries,  and  all  that  is  necessary  to  the 
best  and  therefore  thei  most  successful  work.  The  State  has  spent  a  million* 
dollars  en  these  properties.  Many  hundreds  of  graduates  have  gone  out 
from  them  and  they  have  enrolled  nearly  twenty-five  thousand  students. 
These  trained  men  and  women,  learned  as  they  are,  not  only  in  the  subjects  x 
taught  but  in  the  best  methods  and  the  science  of  teaching  them,  as  prin- 
cipals of  high  and  graded  schools,  teachers  in  the  common  schools,  county 
superintendents,  instructors  in  institutes,  lecturers,  writers  for  school 
journals,  editors  of  newspapers,  anc:  leaders  in  educational  progress — 
they  have  become  a  vast  power,  a  mighty  agency,  for  uplifting  and  making 
more  efficient  the  whole  work  cf  education  in  West  Virginia.  Such  is  the 
result  accomplished  by  a  splendid  Normal  School  System — a  system  that  is 
not  surpassed  by  any  other  of  its  kind  in  the  Union — one  in  which  an  army 
has  now  been  trained,  not  for  war,  but  to  wage  the  battles  of  peace,  and 
thus,  by  breaking  down  the  strongholds  of  ignorance,  to  win  for  the  State 
victories  that  place  her  people  high  up  in  the  intellectual  scale. 

The  State  University,  an  institution  which  in  a  few  years  has  risen  to 
a  first  rank  among  educational  institutions  south  of  Mason  and  Dixon's 
line,  stands  at  the  head  of  our  school  system.  Midway  between  it  and  the 
Primary  Schools  are  the  Preparatory  Schools,  High  Schools,  and  Graded 
Schools,  the  whole  soon  to  be  a  completely  articulated  system. 

A    CONCLUDING   OBSERVATION 

The  solickude  of  the  men  who  organized  the  State  was  never  allayed, 
net  even  amid  the  clash  of  arms  and  the  then  uncertainty  of  the  final  re- 
sult of  the  desperate  conflict.  Their  purpose — that  which  was  uppermost 
in  their  minds — was  the  founding  of  a  commonwealth  with  free  schools 
and  universal  education  whatever  might  come,  posterity  must  be  educated 
for  in  that  alone  they  saw  the  hope  of  the  future.  The  result  is  our  Free 
School  Systoon — the  richest  treasure  of  West  Virginia.  Her  good  name  as 


48  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 

well  as  the  continuation  of  substantial  prosperity,  is  entirely  dependent 
upon  the  initial  direction  given  the  minds  of  the  young.  Care  on  the  one 
hand,  neglect  on  the  other,  bring  forth  responsive  fruit  to  tell  in  after  years 
in  the  grateful  form  of  public  virtue  and  enlightenment,  or  in  the  melan- 
choly spectacle  of  public  vice  and  popular  ignorance  and  abasement.  The 
wisdom  of  statesmen  is  never  more  wisely  directed  than  when  it  aims  to 
establish  the  one  and  guard  against  the  other.  Such  statesmanship  knows 
that  it  must  act  always  by  anticipation;  knows  that  it  is  dealing  with 
functions  in  a  state  of  constant  change  and  progression;  that  it  is 
moulding  and  shaping  that  which  though  incorporeal  and  intangible,  bears 
direct  analogy  to  that  which  is  corporeal  and  material,  in  that  it  is  im- 
pressible to  good  or  evil,  retains  the  shape  and  form  to  which  it  is  moulded, 
and,  in  its  material  powers,  presents  the  perfection  of  the  wise  directing 
handler  the  distortion  of  wicked  neglect. 

That,  therefore,  which  is  the  chief  source  of  greatest  gratification 
to  all  West  Virginians  and  to  those  who  have  come  to  live  among  us,  is 
the  knowledge  that  for  forty  years  our  wisest  statesmanship  has  been  con- 
stantly and  unerringly  directed  toward  the  advancement  and  promotion 
of  every  educational  interest,  and  that  the  intellectual  development  has 
kept  pace  with  the  material  development  of  our  State.  That,  while  the  pro- 
'ductive  energy  opens  up  to  the  commerce  of  the  world  our  boundless  re- 
sources of  mine,  quarry  and  forest,  which  ages  of  the  most  active  industry 
cannot  exhaust,  and  while  the  product  of  factory,  of  shop,  and  forge,  to- 
gether with  our  coke  and  coal,  and  iron  and  lumber,  are  taken  up  by  the 
great  arteries  of  trade  and  distributed  to  the  marts  and  ports  of  the 
civilized  world,  the  educational  facilities  of  our  children  and  our  children's 
children  and  the  full  growth  of  intellectual  life  among  all  classes  of  our 
people,  have  immeasurably  grown  and  increased  since  this  Great  Mountain 
State  began  her  career  as  a  member  of  the  American  Union.  Those  who 
compare  it  with  the  unfolding  of  the  mental  life  of  sister  commonwealths, 
stand  in  wonder  and  astonishment.  West  Virginia  has,  indeed,  been  con- 
verted into  a  land  of  free  schools,  of  culture,  of  refinement,  and  of  a 
home  life  fitted  to  adorn  the  highest  type  of  civilized  and  enlightened 
commonwealths. 


The  Transition  Period. 

BY    EX-STATE    SUPERINTENDENT    B.    L.    BUTCHER 

The  year  1880-1  marks  the  close  of  an  era  and  the  beginning  of  a 
new  one  in  The  Free  School  history  of  West  Virginia.  Prior  to  that  time 
the  superintendents  and  educational  authorities  mainly  addressed  them- 
selves to  the  preparation  and  perfection  of  the  laws  governing  the  system 
of  schools  required  by  the  Constitution,  including  the  State  Normal 
schools  as  a  necessary  and  helpful  adjunct  to  the  success  of  the  Free 
Schools;  and  the  building  of  houses  and  adjusting  the  great  plan  to  the 
varied  conditions  of  the  people  of  the  State. 

Both  the  Free  School  System  and  the  Normal  Schools  had  serious 
opposition  from  various  quarters  at  different  times,  based  upon  various 
grounds;  and  as  late  as  1877  and  1879  the  Legislature  had  a  majority  of 


GOOD-SIZED   SCHOOLS,   THE   FIRST  IN   LINCOLN,   THE   SECOND   IN   BERKELEY 

COUNTY. 


WEST  VIRGINIA.  49 

members  adverse  to  the  Normal  Schools.  The  final  fight  upon  this  sub- 
ject was  made  in  the  Legislature  of  1881,  elected  in  1880. 

Prior  to  this  the  Superintendents  from  Dr.  White  to  Dr.  Pendleton, 
were  men  of  long  experience  and  mature  judgment,  and  all  educated  in 
ante-bellum  times;  from  1880  to  the  present  time  all  of  the  superin- 
tendents have  been  young  men,  and  all  educated  since  the  Civil  War, 
and  therefore  mainly  in  the  free  schools  of  the  State. 

The  revision  of  the  school  law  of  1881  was  the  enactment  of  the  best 
effort  of  the  school  men  on  the  questions  of  providing  for  the  conduct 
of  the  Free  Schools,  and  the  Normal  Schools  in  the  education  of  the  pupils 
and  teachers  of  the  State  at  public  expense.  The  frame  work  of  the  sys- 
tem, however,  was  not  very  different  from  the  original  outline  of  the 
school  law  enacted  in  1865;  but,  various  changes  were  made,  which  made 
its  work  more  harmonious  and  effective.  The  provision  for  compulsory 
attendance  at  teachers'  institutes  and  for  Normal  Schools,  including  a  spe- 
cial provision  for  the  education  of  colored  teachers,  was  incorporated  into 
the  revised  school  law. 

To  this  good  work  and  on  this  strong  foundation  many  new  and  im- 
portant subjects  were,  after  agitation,  adopted  from  time  to  time;  some 
very  promptly  and  others  after  much  experimenting  and  many  failures. 
Among  those  that  were  suggested  early  in  the  era,  the  following  may  be 
mentioned  as  having  produced  important  results  in  educational  affairs: 

In  the  fall  of  1881,  a  circular  was  issued  by  the  Superintendent  of 
schools  announcing  that  West  Virginia  was  entitled  to  six  scholarships 
in  the  Peabody  Normal  School  at  Nashville,  Tenn.  This  school  is  of 
high  grade,  and  especially  adapted  to  the  wants  of  teachers,  but  no 
appointments  had  been  made  from  West  Virginia  prior  to  that  time.  The 
first  were  made  in  the  fall  of  1881,  and  the  quota  of  the  State  has  since 
been  appointed  as  fast  as  vacancies  occur.  The  class  of  young  men  and 
women  who  have  taken  advantage  of  this  advanced  course  of  training 
has  been  of  a  high  order,  and  a  large  number  of  them  have  had  marked 
success  in  their  calling  as  teachers,  and  none  have  failed  to  render  a 
good  account  of  themselves.  The  late  Marcus  M.  Ross,  Principal  of  the 
State  Normal  School  at  Fairmont,  was  the  first  appointee  from  the  State 
at  Nashville.  The  strong  influence  of  these  graduates  has  had  marked 
effect  in  aiding  in  the  elevation  of  the  standard  of  the  qualifications  of 
teachers  and  a  corresponding  help  to  the  schools. 

Provision  for  the  education  of  colored  teachers  was  another  one  of 
the  advanced  steps  taken  under  the  new  era  by  virtue  of  an  amendment 
introduced  by  the  late  Judge  James  H.  Ferguson,  in  the  Legislature  of 
1881.  Under  that  provision  Storer  College  at  Harper's  Ferry,  con- 
tracted with  the  superintendent  to  provide  tuition  for  eighteen  persons 
as  candidates  for  teachers  in  the  colored  schools  of  the  State;  and, 
this  number  was  largely  increased  without  additional  cost  to  the  State  at 
the  instance  of  the  authorities  at  the  School.  This  arrangement  con- 
tinues to  this  time,  although  the  State  has  provided  especially  for  Normal 
and  Industrial  training  schools  upon  a  very  liberal  scale  for  the  colored 
population,  both  at  Institute,  in  Kanawha  county,  and  at  Bluefield  in 
Mercer  county,  where  flourishing  schools  for  higher  education  of  the 


50  HISTORY  or  EDUCATION. 

colored  people,  both  academic  and  industrial,  is  now  in  progress.     The 
small  beginning  has  grown  to  great  proportions. 

Another  new  question  that  was  brought  forward  about  the  beginning 
of  this  new  era,  tp-wit,  in  1883,  was  the  establishment  of  a  Reform  School. 
It  was  first  mentioned  in  the  State  Superintendent's  report  in  January, 
1883;  and  further  urged  in  his  report  of  1885,  with  statistics  and  other 
data.  Bills  were  introduced  in  the  Legislature  of  1885,  but  not  passed 
until  1887,  when  provision  was  made  to  establish  the  school  for  boys, 
which  has  since  grown  into  such  favor  and  importance  at  Pruntytown,  Tay- 
lor county.  Several  years  afterward  a  Girls'  Industrial  Home  was  es- 
tablished at  Salem  in  Harrison  county,  providing  like  advantage  for 
girls. 

The  most  marked  contrast,  perhaps,  between  the  period  before  1880, 
and  the  period  following  has  been  the  enthusiasm  and  vastly  increased 
expenditure  of  funds  in  the  later  period,  for  progress  in  school  work;  and, 
the  effort  to  bring  all  sections  of  the  State  forward  in  educational 
privileges  and  attainments,  at  least  so  far  as  a  fair  common  school  educa- 
tion could  be  provided.  The  period  before  1881  was  largely  constructive. 
The  men  elected  to  office  during  that  period  were  lawyers  and  statesmen 
of  long  and  varied  experience  in  public  affairs;  men  advanced  in  years; 
Dr.  White,  Judge  Lewis,  Col.  Byrne,  Dr.  Pendleton.  None  of  these  men 
had  received  any  part  of  their  education  in  or  under  the  influence  of 
Free  Schools,  and  could  therefore  but  faintly  feel  the  strength  and  pulse 
of  the  great  machine  for  education  they  had  helped  to  construct  and 
superintend  for  a  time. 

The  first  generation  of  voters  that  received  their  early  education  from 
the  Free  Schools  began  to  ripen  "in  patches"  throughout  the  State  in 
1875,  and  grew  in  number  and  extent  of  territory  from  that  time,  so  that 
by  1880  the  new  voters  who  owed  all  their  early  (and  in  many  cases,  all) 
schooling  to  the  Free  Schools  were  numerous  enough  to  put  forward  can- 
didates of  both  parties  for  State  Superintendent  and  members  of  the 
Legislature  educated  in  the  same  way;  and,  after  Dr.  Pendleton,  (1877-81), 
all  the  superintendents  have  been  young  men. 

The  question  of  uniform  examinations,  provisions  for  which  were 
made  by  the  Legislature  of  1903,  has  been  another  of  the  urgent  questions 
discussed  by  the  superintendents  both  before  and  since  1881,  showing  how 
slowly  advancement  is  made  along  some  lines. 

The  history  of  teachers'  examinations  in  the  State  has  been  one  of 
vexing  variety  to  the  teachers  and  school  officials,  but  has  steadily  moved 
forward  in  the  direction  of  long  term  certificates  for  high  grade  teachers, 
and  frequent  examination  for  beginners;  and,  the  uniformity  law  through- 
out the  State,  in  examination,  seems  to  round  out  the  original  conception 
of  leading  school  men  on  this  subject. 

Another  question  exciting  public  attention  and  education  during  the 
period  beginning  about  1881,  and  for  sometime  before,  was  the  admission 
of  women  as  students  to  the  State  University.  This  was  finally  accom- 
plished in  1885,  and  has  since  been  growing  in  favor  as  the  University 
grows  in  usefulness. 

A  more  novel  yet  important  educational  question  was  brought  forward 


WEST  VIRGINIA.  51 

in  the  spring  of  1882,  by  the  official  announcement  of  Arbor  Day  in  the 
public  schools  of  the  State  by  the  State  Superintendent  through  the 
newspapers  and  especially  the  School  Journal,  which  had  been  newly 
established  in  November,  1881.  This  idea  of  Arbor  Day  had  been  growing: 
in  the  West,  and  had  recently  before  been  adopted  by  the  city  schools  of 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  the  children  were  taught  to  plant  trees  in  the 
public  parks  of  that  city  and  name  them  for  great  men  and  favorite 
authors,  recite  extracts  and  poems  from  the  writings  of  these  persona 
on  the  day  and  at  the  time  of  planting  the  trees.  In  January,  1882, 
Superintendent  Butcher  visited  the  Cincinnati  schools  and  learned  of 
the  success  of  this  movement,  and  later  was  encouraged  to  proclaim  it 
in  the  schools  of  the  State,  and  issued  the  first  proclamation  of  a  State 
school  official  in  the  United  States  appointing  Arbor  Day;  so  it  came  into 
existence  in  the  spring  of  1882,  and  has  since  happily  been  followed  by  all 
the  superintendents  by  the  appointment  of  a  day  to  be  observed  in  all  the 
schools  of  the  State  annually. 

A  graded  course  of  instruction  adapted  to  country  schools  was 
recommended  by  the  superintendents  and  generally  discussed  in  the  Insti- 
tutes from  1880  until  adopted  in  1890,  and  is  regarded  as  another  im- 
portant advance  step  in  primary  education,  in  the  new  era. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  greatest  helps  in  the  uplift  in  education  felt 
about  the  early  years  of  1880  and  following,  was,  Dy  the  aid  of  the 
Peabody  Fund  under  the  general  agency  of  Dr.  J.  L.  M.  Curry,  the  bring- 
ing into  the  State  of  leading  educators  from  all  parts  of  the  Union  to 
conduct  institutes  and  address  educational  gatherings.  Among  these  may 
be  mentioned,  Dr.  James  H.  Smart,  of  Indiana;  Dr.  B.  E.  White,  Ohio; 
Dr.  John  B.  Peaslee,  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio;  Dr.  B.  G.  Northrop,  of  Connecti- 
cut; Prof.  E.  V.  DeGraff,  of  New  Jersey;  Hon.  Henry  Houck,  of  Pennsyl- 
vania; Col.  Francis  W.  Parker,  of  Chicago;  Dr.  W.  H.  Payne,  of  Michigan; 
Dr.  A.  D.  Mayo,  of  Boston;  Dr.  M.  A.  Newell,  of  Maryland.  These  were 
aided  and  assisted  by  our  own  leading  men,  (not  teachers),  from  nearly  all 
walks  of  life — among  many  may  be  named  Hon.  Chas.  J.  Faulkner,  Sr., 
Martinsburg;  Hon.  A.  R.  Bouteler,  Shepherdstown;  Hon.  William  L.  Wil- 
son, Charles  Town;  Hon.  B.  F.  Martin,  Graf  ton;  Hon.  T.  R.  Carskadon,  of 
Keyser;  Hon.  Henry  G.  Davis,  (now)  of  Elkins;  Hon.  W.  M.  O.  Dawson, 
of  Kingwood;  Hon.  Thos.  H.  Dennis,  Lewisburg;  Dr.  Isaiah  Bee,  of  Mercer 
county;  Dr.  J.  E.  Reeves,  of  Wheeling;  Hon.  William  A.  Quarrier,  Judge 
James  H.  Ferguson,  Hon.  E.  W.  Wilson,  of  Charleston;  Hon.  Chas.  E. 
Hogg,  of  Point  Pleasant;  Prof.  A.  L.  Wade,  Morgantown;  Hon.  Geo.  E. 
Price,  (now)  of  Charleston;  Hon.  P.  W.  Morris,  (now)  of  Parkersburg; 
Dr.  J.  M.  Hall,  of  Ritchie  county;  Hon.  Robert  McEldowney,  of  New 
Martinsville;  Col.  John  H.  Oley,  Huntington;  Judge  Dan'l.  B.  Lucas,  of 
Charles  Town;  Col.  John  A.  Robinson,  of  Keyser;  Hon.  W.  P.  Hubbard,  of 
Ohio  county;  Hon.  James  Morrow,  of  Fairmont;  Judge  J.  M.  McWhorter, 
Charleston,  and  Hon.  Archie  Campbell,  of  Wheeling,  and  many  others  who 
are  entitled  to  be  named  in  this  roll  of  honor. 


52  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 


Later  Progress. 

BY  M.   P.   SHAWKEY 

The  growth  of  the  public  school  system  in  West  Virginia  is  marked 
by  a  steady  progress  from  the  formation  of  the  State  to  the  present  time. 
At  no  time  has  that  progress  been  spasmodic.  When  West  Virginia  first 
became  a  State  she  was  practically  without  schools  and  schoolhouses, 
and  consequently  the  limited  resources  of  the  undeveloped  State  were 
taxed  to  the  extreme  in  providing  even  the  rudest  kind  of  houses  and 
furniture  and  equipment.  Our  record  shows  that  during  the  decade  from 
1870  to  1880  the  number  of  schoolhouses  in  the  State  was  increased 
1444,  which  is  a  greater  numerical  increase  than  can  be  shown  in  any 
decade  since.  From  1880  to  1890  the  increase  in  the  number  of  houses 
was  only  1257,  while  from  1890  to  1900,  notwithstanding  the  wonderful 
material  development  of  the  State,  the  increase  in  the  number  of  school- 
nouses  fell  to  1102.  The  number  of  teachers  employed  makes  a  similar 
showing.  From  1870  to  1880  the  number  increased  1729,  from  1880  to 
1890  the  increase  was  1357,  and  from  1890  to  1900  the  increase  rose  again 
to  1576,  which,  however,  is  below  that  of  the  first  decade. 

These  figures  must  not  be  taken  to  indicate  any  slackening  in  the 
growth  of  the  public  school  system,  their  true  meaning  is  that  the  material 
wants  of  the  system  were  being  satisfied  in  a  measure.  In  connection  with 
these  statistics  it  must  be  kept  in  mind  that  all  the  while  the  first  rude,  log 
structures  were  and  are  being  constantly  replaced  with  houses  of  modern 
construction  and  equipment.  Probably  the  best  thing  about  this  whole 
period  is  the  increased  growth  of  the  public  school  sentiment  and  the 
development  of  the  true  ideas  of  public  education.  What  was  really  being 
accomplished  can  best  be  shown  by  a  different  set  of  statistics  gleaned 
from  official  reports.  In  1870  the  average  daily  attendance  was  36  per 
cent,  of  the  enumeration,  in  1880  it  was  44  per  cent.,  in  1890  it  was  46 
per  cent.,  while  in  1903  it  was  50  per  cent.,  which,  when  it  is  remembered 
that  the  enumeration  includes  all  youths  between  the  ages  of  6  and  21 
years,  whether  graduated  from  the  public  schools,  enrolled  in  other 
schools  or  necessarily  employed  a  part  of  the  time,  must  be  regarded  as  a 
very  excellent  showing.  The  rate  of  levy  for  school  purposes  during  this 
time  has  advanced  considerably,  though  necessarily  these  figures  approach 
a  limit  beyond  which  an  advance  is  not  to  be  expected.  On  the  other 
hand  the  amount  spent  for  the  public  schools  in  proportion  to  the  school 
population  shows  a  marked  increase  and  is  still  going  on  each  year.  In 
1870  the  State  spent  $2.70  for  every  boy  and  girl  of  school  age,  while  in 
1903  we  spent  $7.38  per  capita,  or  more  than  2^  times  as  much.  During 
the  same  period  the  amount  actually  spent  grew  from  less  than  half  a 
million  dollars  ($470,129.43)  in  1870  to  almost  two  and  a  half  millions 
($2,393,555.36)  in  1903,  or  nearly  six  times  as  much,  while  the  number 
enumerated  doubles  itself  only. 

In  the  earlier  periods  all  efforts  were  devoted  to  securing  houses  and 
necessary  equipments  and  to  establishing  the  public  school  idea.  Thanks 


WEST  VIRGINIA.  53 

to  the  workers  of  those  earlier  days  the  foundations  were  well  laid  and 
the  last  decade  or  two  have  begun  to  garner  the  harvest.  At  least  it 
can  be  said  that  the  later  day  workers  have  found  a  tillable  field,  one 
ready  to  yield  more  abundantly. 

THE    UNIVERSITY    AND    THE    NORMAL    SCHOOLS 

The  University  and  normal  scliools  evidence  this  later  and  more 
gratifying  development.  Students  no  longer  leave  the  State  from  sheer 
necessity,  to  get  college  training.  The  University  has  taken  rank  with 
the  best  in  equipment  and  in  the  character  of  the  instruction  it  offers. 
It  is  in  full  sympathy  with  the  public  schools  and  the  normal  schools, 
and  is  recognized  as  the  rightful  and  actual  head  of  the  system.  It 
furnishes  a  goal  and  standard  for  every  school  of  every  grade  in  the  en- 
tire system.  The  University  now  fills  this  splendid  mission  but  without 
disparagement  to  former  and  more  limited  times,  it  must  be  said  that  the 
attainment  of  that  position  in  the  educational  plan  of  the  State  has  been 
of  recent  years  only. 

The  evolution  or  revolution  of  the  normal  schools  is  best  shown  by  a 
reference  to  their  course  of  study  as  prescribed  at  present  and  as  set  forth 
a  few  years  ago.  In  1890  the  catalogue  of  the  original  normal  school  pre- 
sented the  following  course  in  the  academic  department,  with  the  ex- 
planation that  "the  academic  course  of  study  shall  consist  of  two  years:" 
Junior  year,  Geography,  Arithmetic,  English  Grammar,  Latin  Lessons, 
Reader  and  Grammar,  Physiology.  Senior  year,  Algebra,  Geometry,  Book- 
keeping, Ca?sar,  Cicero,  Virgil,  United  States  History,  Greek  Lessons, 
Grammar,  two  books  of  Xenophon  or  German. 

Last  year  the  uniform  course  in  the  same  department  prescribed  for 
all  the  normal  schools  covered  five  years'  work,  as  follows: 

First  year — Arithmetic,  Geography,  Grammar,  United  States  History, 
Physiology,  Bookkeeping. 

Second  year — Mental  Arithmetic,  Advanced  Grammar,  General  His- 
tory, Physical  Geography,  Algebra,  Greek  History,  Civics,  Higher  Eng- 
lish, Roman  History,  Botany. 

Third  year — Algebra,  Rhetoric,  Latin,  Zoology,  English  History,  Ge- 
ology, or  Astronomy. 

Junior  year — Geometry,  American  Literature,  Latin  or  French,  Greek 
or  German,  English  Literature,  Latin  or  French,  Greek  or  German,  Eng- 
lish Literature,  Latin  or  French,  Greek  or  German. 

Senior  year — Physics,  Trigonometry,  Latin  or  French,  Greek  of  Ger- 
man, Chemistry,  Latin  or  French,  Greek  or  German,  Latin  or  French, 
Greek  or  German. 

It  should  be  observed  that  the  above  is  not  the  full  curriculum  of  the 
normal  school,  but  a  mere  outline  of  the  studies  pursued  in  the  academic 
department. 

In  other  respects  the  normal  schools  have  grown  stronger  as  much  as 
is  indicated  in  this  course  of  study.  The  quality  and  the  quantity  of  the 
work  they  are  doing  have  advanced  steadily  and  rapidly. 

Liberal  provision  has  been  made  for  a  similar  education  for  colored 
students  in  the  West  Virginia  Colored  Institute  at  Institute,  and  the 


54  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 

Bluefield  Colored  Institute  at  Bluefield.  These  institutions,  however, 
are  of  a  little  more  general  character,  giving  considerable  attention  to 
industrial  education  as  well  as  to  the  literary  and  teachers'  courses.  They 
have  already  accomplished  much  good  and  have  demonstrated  their  im- 
portance and  usefulness  to  the  State. 

The  preparatory  branch  of  the  University  at  Montgomery,  established 
in  1895  and  that  at  Keyser  established  in  1901  have  both  been  supplied 
with  commodious  modern  buildings,  and  necessary  equipment.  They 
serve  not  only  as  feeders  of  the  University  but  as  higher  grade  secondary 
schools  for  general  training.  They  have  already  enlisted  students  in  con- 
siderable numbers  to  whom  they  are  giving  thorough  and  practical  train- 
ing. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  State  is  now  well  supplied  with  educational 
institutions  and  that  these  institutions  are  at  least  fairly  well  supplied 
with  necessary  equipment.  With  the  material  interests  being  satisfied 
more  attention  has  been  given  to  the  less  material  but  not  less  consequen- 
tial interests.  Higher  standards,  better  salaries,  longer  terms,  improved 
architecture,  more  thorough  and  systematic  supervision,  systematic  grad- 
ing, practical  and  professional  institute  work,  advanced  school  legislation, 
art  collections,  libraries  and  reading  circles  are  some  of  the  subjects  that 
show  best  the  real  progress  of  the  past  decade.  Longer  terms  and  better 
salaries  have  come  naturally  with  increased  revenues,  but  recently  there 
has  been  such  positive  sentiment  and  effort  by  our  educational  leaders 
generally  as  to  insure  practical  results  along  these  two  lines,  and  while 
the  subject  of  architecture  has  had  attention  by  State  Superintendents 
from  the  time  of  Dr.  White  down  to  the  present,  the  days  of  the  log 
Bchoolhouse  furnished  small  chance  for  its  development  and  it  is  but 
recently  that  our  cities  have  made  great  advances  and  our  rural  dis- 
tricts shown  a  general  interest  in  the  subject.  The  new  high  schools  at 
Charleston,  Huntington  and  Parkersburg,  Mannington,  New  Martinsville 
and  Sistersville,  the  district  high  schools  in  Fayette,  Marion  and  Harri- 
son counties,  stand  a  pride  to  their  destricts  and  models  of  modern 
schoolhouse  architecture.  Our  county  institutes  are  reaching  the  plane  of 
professional  discussion  and  instruction,  rather  than  that  of  brief  drill 
in  the  elementary  branches,  and  the  district  institutes,  recognized  by 
statute  since  1901,  have  begun  to  be  practical  and  effective  agencies,  carry- 
ing the  work  to  the  very  doors  of  the  patrons  of  the  schools.  In  recent 
legislation  the  statute  increasing  the  pay  of  county  superintendents,  the 
relationship  limitation  law  for  teachers,  the  optional  free  text-book  law, 
the  compulsory  attendance  law  and  the  uniform  examination  law  mark 
distinct  advances  and  have  had  already  great  influence  upon  the  results 
being  accomplished  by  the  public  schools  of  the  State.  While  the  latter 
two  especially  have  had  determined  opposition  to  overcome,  yet  they  have 
already  vindicated  themselves  and  their  repeal  is  at  present  scarcely 
thought  of  anywhere.  They  have  necessarily  entailed  some  hardships, 
but  the  good  to  be  accomplished  far  outweighs  the  sacrifices,  and  it  is  safe 
to  say  that  the  people  of  the  State  will  demand  their  complete  application 
rather  than  their  repeal. 


WEST  VIRGINIA.  55 

THE  STATE  TEACHERS'  READING  CIRCLE 

But  nowhere  in  the  whole  realm  of  recent  attainment  and  progress 
is  to  be  found  better  results  than  are  shown  in  the  work  of  the  State 
Reading  Circle  and  in  the  movement  for  school  libraries.  For  several 
years  the  subject  of  a  teachers'  reading  circle  has  claimed  the  attention  of 
State  superintendents  and  other  educators,  but  not  until  1901  was  any 
material  progress  made  along  that  line.  Superintendent  Miller  took  up 
the  work  with  renewed  energy  and  emphasized  it  on  every  occasion  and 
after  considerable  effort  succeeded  in  getting  the  work  started  on  some- 
thing of  a  general  scale.  Up  to  that  time  a  score  or  two  of  the  prescribed 
books  was  all  that  dealers  disposed  of  in  the  State.  In  1902-03,  however, 
reports  from  various  sources  showed  that  several  hundred  teachers  had 
taken  up  the  work.  Then  the  uniform  examination  system  came  on 
furnishing  an  additional  stimulus  for  teachers  to  take  up  the  work  and 
careful  estimates  for  the  present  year  indicate  that  at  least  two  thousand 
teachers  are  reading  the  course  prescribed  by  the  State  Superintendent. 
That  the  effect  will  appear  at  once  in  the  general  quality  of  work  done 
by  the  teachers  of  the  State  cannot  be  doubted. 

SCHOOL    LIBRARIES 

In  the  matter  of  school  libraries  an  equally  good  showing  has  been 
made.  The  question  had  been  previously  agitated  and  with  some  good- 
results,  but  in  1900  Supt.  J.  R.  Trotter  designated  the  7th  of  December  as 
"Library  Day,"  to  be  observed  by  all  the  schools  of  the  State.  The  celebra- 
tion of  library  day  was  a  success  and  many  books  were  added  to  the 
libraries  already  in  existence  and  many  new  libraries  established.  The  ob- 
servance of  the  day  has  been  continued  each  year  since  with  the  most  grati- 
fying results.  A  glance  at  the  records  shows  how  rapidly  the  advance  has 
been  made  and  especially  during  later  years.  The  first  report  on  the  total 
number  of  volumes  in  the  school  libraries  was  made  by  Superintendent 
Pendleton  in  1877,  according  to  whose  statement  there  was  then  a  total  of 
725  volumes  in  the  school  libraries.  In  1880  this  number  had  grown  to 
886.  Tb,e  increase  continued  slow  for  a  number  of  years.  In  1885  the  num- 
her  had  grown  to  2335,  in  1890  to  5675,  in  1895  to  7132,  in  1900  to  17,169 
and  in  1903  to  38,189.  The  phenomenal  increase  of  122  per  cent,  in  the 
number  of  books  in  the  past  thre^e  years  shows  how  thoroughly  awakened 
the  State  is  upon  this  important  subject,  but  what  the  movement  will  ac- 
complish yet,  ere  its  force  is  spent,  remains  to  be  seen  and  the  future  ages 
alone  can  measure  the  influence  of  this  phase  of  the  excellent  work  being 
accomplished  by  hosts  of  our  public  school  workers,  but  there  is  no  record 
in  which  the  State  may  more  justly  feel  a  reasonable  pride  than  in  this 
-unparalleled  growth  in  her  public  school  libraries. 

OTHER   GOOD    WORK 

The  aroused  sentiment  shown  in  the  phenomenal  growth  of  our  public 
school  libraries  manifests  itself  also  in  two  or  three  other  particulars  to 
omit  mention  of  which  would  be  injustice  to  the  showing  which  the  State 
is  now  able  to  make.  While  definite  statistics  are  not  available,  the 
reports  from  various  sources  show  a  wonderful  increase  in  the  number 


56  HISTOBY  OF  EDUCATION. 

of  teachers  taking  special  training,  and  in  the  amount  of  educational 
literature  made  use  ef  by  teachers,  in  the  number  of  teachers  who  go 
to  expense  to  attend  educational  meetings,  and  who  are  willing  to  spend 
their  money  to  provide  themselves  with  books,  apparatus  and  devices. 
The  school  boards  of  a  number  of  districts  are  also  supplying  them- 
selves with  literature  and  making  a  study  of  teachers,  sanitation  and 
architecture.  District  high  schools  are  multiplying.  A  few  districts  have 
also  taken  advantage  of  the  recent  optional  law  and  provided  free  books 
for  their  pupils.  The  general  demand  for  improvement  is  more  gratifying 
than  at  any  time  previous  in  our  history.  Both  teachers  and  boards  show 
a  readiness  to  take  up  advanced  ideas.  The  request  for  a  celebration  of  Li- 
brary Day  has  met  with  a  hearty  response  and  added  hundreds  of  libraries 
and  thousands  of  volumes  to  the  schools  of  the  State,  while  the  Arbor 
Day  proclamation  of  the  State  Superintendent  is  meeting  with  a  similarly 
hearty  response  and  equally  valuable  results  have  begun  to  appear.  In 
a  number  of  instances  boards  of  education  have  undertaken  to  try  the 
merits  of  consolidation  and  transportation,  even  without  waiting  for  ex- 
press authority  and  county  superintendents  have  not  hesitated  to  under- 
take many  plans  for  the  good  of  the  schools  not  required  of  them  and  to 
give  of  their  time  far  beyond  what  they  are  paid  for,  all  of  which  indicates 
a  most  wholesome  school  sentiment  and  a  condition  of  public  opinion 
worth  more  in  the  true  results  of  the  work  than  any  amount  of  mere 
tangible  property  however  great.  The  State  is  alive  educationally  as  she 
is  commercially. 


DANIEL  BOARDMAN  PURINTON,  PH.  D.,  LL.  D.,  PRESIDENT  WEST 
VIRGINIA  UNIVERSITY. 


58  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 

Thomas  Edward  Hodges,  A.  M.,  Professor  of  Physics. 

Thomas  Clark  Atkeson,  Ph.  D.,  Dean  of  the  College  of  Agriculture, 
and  Professor  of  Agriculture. 

Charles  Edgar  Hogg,  Dean  of  the  College  of  Law. 

Frederick  Lincoln  Emory,  B.  S.,  M.  M.  E.,  M.  E.,  Professor  of  Mechan- 
ics and  Applied  Mathematics,  and  Superintendent  of  Buildings  and 
Orounds. 

•   Alfred  Jarrett  Hare,   A.   M.,   Professor   of  the   Latin   Language   and 
Literature,  and  Principal  of  the  Preparatory  School. 

Charles  Henry  Patterson,  A.  M.,  Professor  of  Rhetoric. 

Frederick  Wilson  Truscott,  Ph.  D.,  Professor  of  Germanic  Languages 
and  Literatures. 

John  Black  Johnston,  Ph.  D.,  Professor  of  Zoology. 

james  Madison  Burns,  Major  U.  S.  Army,  Professor  of  Military 
Science  and  Tactics,  and  Commandant  of  Cadets. 

Robert  Allen  Armstrong,  A.  M.,  Professor  of  the  English  Language 
and  Literature,  and  Head  of  the  Department  of  English. 

Henry  Sherwood  Green,  LL.  D.,  Professor  of  the  Greek  Language  and 
Literature. 

Clement  Ross  Jones,  M.  M.  E.,  Professor  of  Mechanical  Engineering. 

Anthony  Wencel  Chez,  Director  of  Physical  Training. 

'Will  Hazen  Boughton,  C.  E.,  Professor  of  Civil  Engineering. 

Russell  Love  Morris.  C.  E.,  Professor  of  Civil  and  Mining  Engineering. 

Jasper  Newton  Deahl,  A.  M.,  Ph.  D.,  Professor  of  Education. 

John  Lewis  Sheldon,  Ph.  D.,  Professor  of  Bacteriology  and  Bacteriolo- 
gist of  the  West  Virginia  Agricultural  Experiment  Station. 

Susan  Maxwell  Moore,  Dean  of  Women  and  Instructor  on  the  Piano. 

James  Morton  Callahan,  Ph.  D.,  Professor  of  History  and  Political 
Science. 

Frederick  Lawrence  Kortright,  D.  Sc.,  Professor  of  Chemistry. 

John  Nathan  Simpson,  M.  D.,  Professor  of  Anatomy  and  Physiology 
and  Head  of  the  Medical  Department. 

John  Harrington  Cox,  A.  M.,  Professor  of  English  Philology. 

Walter  Lynwood  Fleming,  A.  M.,  Ph.  D.,  Professor  of  History. 

William  Jackson  Leonard,  Associate  Professor  of  Fine  Arts. 

C.  Edmund  Neil,  A.  B.,  Associate  Professor  of  Elocution  and  Oratory. 

Dennis  Martin  Willis,  LL.  B..  Instructor  in  Bookkeeping  and  Com- 
mercial Practice,  and  Principal  of  the  Commercial  School. 

Eva  Emma  Hubbard,  Instructor  in  Drawing  and  Painting. 

Edwin  Fayette  Church,  B.  S.,  Assistant  Professor  of  Mechanical 
Engineering. 

George  Perry  Grimsley,  A.  M.,  Ph.  D.,  Lecturer  in  Geology. 

Alexander  Stewart  Thompson,  Instructor  in  Voice. 

James  A.  Waugh,  V.  S.,  Instructor  in  Veterinary  Science. 

William  Michael  Baumgartner,  A.  B.,  Instructor  in  German. 

William  Elmore  Dickinson,  A.  B.,  M.  E.,  Instructor  in  Electrical  En- 
gineering. 

Louise  Ferris  Chez,  Director  of  Physical  Training  for  Women. 


WEST  VIBGIXIA.  59 

Ross  Spence,  Director  of  the  School  of  Music  and  Instructor  on 
Stringed  Instruments. 

Grace  Martin  Snee,  B.  M.,  Instructor  on  Piano  and  Pipe  Organ. 

Justin  P.  Grant,  M.  D..  Instructor  in  Anatomy. 

Ward  J.  MacNeal,  M.  D.,  Ph.  D.,  Assistant  in  Bacteriology. 

Charles  Collier  Holden,  A.  B.,  Assistant  Professor  of  Romance 
Languages. 

Rudolf  Wertime,   Instructor  on  the  Piano. 

Madison    Stathers,    Ph.    D.,    Instructor    in    Romance    Languages. 

Walton  Kirk  Brainerd,  B.  S.,  Instructor  in  Dairying. 

Thomas  Carskadon  Johnson,  B.  S.  Agr.,  A.  M.,  Instructor  in  Botany 
and  Assistant  Horticulturist. 

Simeon  Conant  Smith,  A.  M.,  Assistant  in  Rhetoric  and  Elocution. 

Bertha  Browning  Purinton,  A.  M.,  Assistant  in  the  Preparatory 
School. 

David  Dale  Johnson,  A.  M.,  Assistant  in  English. 

Mabel  Constance  Foster,  Assistant  in  Harmony,  Theory,  Musical  His- 
tory, Sight  Reading  and  Ear  Training,  and  Assistant  on  the  Piano. 

A.  W.  Smith,  Ph.  D.,  Instructor  in  Physics. 

Drusilla  Victoria  Johnson,  A.  M.,  Assistant  in  Greek  and  Mathematics. 

Rufus  A.  West,  Assistant  in  Metal  Working  and  Stationary  Engineer. 

Thomas  Howard  Gather,  Foreman  of  the  Machine  Shop. 

J.  B.  Grumbein,  Foreman  of  Wood  Shop. 

Wm.  A.  Mestrezat,  Assistant  on  Wind  Istruments. 

James  Edgar  Larew,  Assistant  in  Physics. 

Pauline  Wiggin  Leonard,  A.  M.  Librarian. 

Jessie  G.  Cone,  Assistant  Librarian. 

Margaret  C.  Smith,  Assistant  Librarian. 

Lillian  Smith,  Assistant  Librarian. 

Katherine  Clifton  Hedrick,  Assistant  in  Law  Library. 

James  H.  Stewart,  A.  M.  Director  of  Agricultural  Experiment  Station. 

William  Earl  Rumsey,  B.  S.,  Agr.,  Entomologist  in  charge. 

Horace  Atwood,  M.  S.  Agr.,  Assistant  Agriculturist. 

Carl  Schurz  Forham,  Assistant  Chemist. 

Frank  Batson  Kunst,  Assistant  Chemist. 

Frederick  E.  Brooks,  Special  Agent. 

W.  J.  White,  Auditor. 

Martha  A.  Stewart,  Station  Librarian. 

The  University  organization  includes  the  following  Schools  and  Col- 
leges: I.  The  College  of  Arts  and  Sciences;  II.  The  College  of  Engineer- 
ing and  Mechanic  Arts;  III.  The  College  of  Agriculture;  IV.  The  College 
of  Law;  V.  The  College  of  Medicine;  VI.  The  School  of  Music;  VII.  The 
Commercial  School;  VIII.  The  Preparatory  Schools;  IX.  The  School  of 
Fine  Arts;  X.  The  School  of  Military  Science  and  Tactics;  XL  The  Sum- 
mer School.  XII.  The  College  of  Veterinary  Science;  XIII.  The  Agri- 
cultural Experiment  Station. 

The  funds  for  maintaining  the  University  are  derived  from  the  in- 
terest on  the  original  land  grant  of  the  United  States  Government;  the 
Morrill  Fund;  the  Hatch  Fund;  the  Adams  Fund;  biennial  Legislative 


60  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 

appropriations;  fees  and  tuition,  and  gifts  from  friends  of  the  University, 

The  University  campus  includes  about  fifty  acres,  and  has  on  it  the 
following  buildings:  University  Hall,  Martin  Hall,  Science  Hall,  En- 
gineering Hall,  Commencement  Hall,  Woman's  Hall,  The  Library,  The 
Armory,  The  Agricultural  Experiment  Station,  The  President's  Houser 
and  Fife  Cottage.  All  of  these,  except  Woman's  Hall  and  Fife  Cottage,, 
are  of  brick  or  stone.  The  Experiment  Station  maintains  a  farm  of  one 
hundred  acres  about  a  mile  from  the  University,  on  which  there  are  the 
usual  farm  buildings.  Three  of  the  college  fraternities  own  chapter 
houses  in  various  parts  of  the  town,  and  Episcopal  Hall,  founded  by 
Bishop  Peterkin,  of  the  West  Virginia  Diocese  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church,  was  especially  established  as  a  hall  or  dormitory  for  University 
students.  The  Library  and  the  Armory  are  particularly  handsome  build- 
ings, the  Library  being  one  of  the  handsomest  University  Library  build- 
ings in  the  country. 

The  campus  is  very  uneven  but  very  picturesque  and  beautiful.  The 
oldest  group  of  buildings  includes  Martin  Hall,  Woodburn  Hall,  and 
Science  Hall,  occupying  a  promontory  overlooking  the  Monongahela  River, 
a  site  which  for  natural  beauty  can  hardly  be  surpassed  on  any  college 
campus  in  America. 

For  many  years  after  Monongalia  Academy  was  converted  into  the 
institution  with  the  larger  name,  its  student  body  was  not  very  large  in 
numbers,  and  it  went  through  the  usual  experiences  of  the  early  years  of 
most  State  universities.  It  had  to  outgrow  political  influences,  and  to 
establish  itself  in  the  confidence  and  affections  of  the  people.  But  during 
that  period,  as  in  all  of  its  history,  many  noble  and  scholarly  men  were 
connected  with  its  faculty  and  the  quality  of  work  done  has  always  been 
of  high  grade.  Up  to  nine  or  ten  years  ago  the  number  of  students  en- 
rolled during  the  year  had  never  reached  300;  now  the  enrollment  is  120ft 
and  the  patronage  comes  not  only  from  every  county  in  West  Virginia, 
but  from  many  other  States,  and  a  half-dozen  foreign  countries. 

During  the  past  few  years  the  material  equipment  of  the  University 
has  been  greatly  enlarged  through  the  erection  of  Engineering  Hall,  the 
Armory,  the  Library,  and  the  addition  of  much  new  and  thoroughly  modern 
apparatus  to  all  of  the  laboratories.  In  1903  arrangements  were  con- 
eluded  with  the  Baltimore  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  for  the 
affiliation  of  that  institution  with  West  Virginia  University.  The  first  two 
years'  work  of  the  medical  course  may  be  done  either  in  Morgantown  or  in 
Baltimore,  and  the  clinical  work  of  the  third  and  fourth  years  is  done  in 
Baltimore.  Medical  Students  go  from  their  work  in  Morgantown  to  Balti- 
more without  further  examination.  Students  who  take  the  first  two  years' 
work  of  the  medical  course  in  Morgantown  will,  upon  the  completion  of 
the  course,  receive  their  diplomas  from  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Sur- 
geons, but  the  degree  will  also  be  conferred  at  Morgantown,  and  the  stu- 
dents will  be  considered  alumni  of  West  Virginia  University. 

After  passing  through  an  experimental  state,  the  Summer  School  has 
been  permanently  established  as  a  part  of  the  University.  It  lasts  for 
six  weeks,  and  in  addition  to  the  regular  members  of  the  University 
faculty  who  offer  courses,  there  are  always  a  number  of  instructors  en- 


WEST  VIBGINIA.  61 

gaged  from  other  institutions,  and  the  Summer  School  is  now  equal  to 
the  very  best  in  the  United  States. 

There  has  recently  been  published  a  history  of  the  graduates  of  the 
University  from  1867  to  1903.  Among  the  graduates  are  five  college 
presidents,  forty-seven  college  professors,  three  state  superintendents 
of  schools,  ten  normal  school  principals,  twenty-five  normal  school  teachers, 
ten  bank  cashiers,  twelve  judges,  forty-five  preachers,  twenty-eight  doctors, 
.six  United  States  army  officers,  one  United  States  Senator,  four  members 
of  congress,  one  governor,  one  attorney  general,  one  state  geologist,  ten 
state  senators,  thirty-five  members  of  the  house  of  delegates,  sixty-five 
engineers  (civil,  mechanical,  mining),  forty-three  superintendents  or 
principals  of  high  schools  and  schools  of  similar  grade,  sixteen  editors, 
about  twenty-five  business  men  and  farmers,  and  something  more  than 
225  lawyers.  The  list  includes  also  the  first  sheriff  of  Manila,  a  clerk 
of  the  supreme  court  of  the  State,  a  clerk  of  the  State  senate,  a  clerk  of 
the  house  of  delegates,  a  chief  mine  inspector,  a  weather  bureau  director 
in  South  America,  and  the  most  famous  foot  ball  coach  in  the  United 
States. 

These  alumni  live  in  thirty-seven  states,  besides  Austria,  Mexico, 
Japan,  Siam,  India,  the  Argentine  Republic,  Bulgaria  and  the  Philippine 
Islands. 

The  list  shows  that  thirty-seven  of  the  graduates  have  died. 

An  institution  of  learning  is  estimated  very  largely  by  the  strength  of 
its  faculty,  and  by  the  training  and  scholarship  of  its  professors.  The 
seventy  or  more  present  members  of  the  faculty  of  West  Virginia  Uni- 
versity were  trained  in  the  leading  colleges  and  universities  of  the  world, 
as  the  following  list  of  institutions  represented  will  show:  Princeton, 
Harvard,  Johns  Hopkins,  University  of  Virginia,  University  of  Nashville, 
Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute,  Cornell,  Tufts  College,  Indiana  University, 
University  of  Berlin,  University  of  Michigan,  University  of  Chicago, 
Columbia,  Yale,  West  Virginia  University,  Stevens  Institute  of  Technology, 
Massachusetts  Agricultural  College,  the  Polytechnicum  in  Switzerland, 
New  England  Conservatory  of  Music,  Brown  University,  Drake  University, 
Ohio  Wesleyan,  Marietta  College,  Freiburg  School  of  Mines,  and  various 
others. 

The  College  of  Law,  which  began  with  one  Professor  (Dr.  Brooke), 
and  one  student,  more  than  twenty  years  ago,  has  since  educated  nearly 
all  of  the  younger  members  of  the  West  Virginia  Bar,  besides  a  great  num- 
ber in  many  other  states  and  foreign  countries.  Its  enrollment  is  usually 
about  one  hundred  students,  and  its  graduates  are  taking  a  commanding 
place  in  the  control  of  public  affairs  in  West  Virginia.  The  Law  faculty 
was  recently  greatly  strengthened  by  the  election  of  Hon.  Charles  Edgar 
Hogg  as  Dean.  He  is  widely  known  as  a  lawyer  and  as  a  writer  of  law 
books. 

The  largest  building  on  the  campus  is  devoted  entirely  to  the  College 
of  Engineering,  including  civil,  mechanical,  mining,  and  electrical.  It 
is  well  equipped  with  modern  apparatus  and  machinery.  The  demand  for 
trained  engineers  of  all  kinds  is  greater  than  the  supply.  Every  engineer- 


62  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 

ing  student  of  the  Universiey  has  a  good  place  waiting  for  him  upon  his 
graduation. 

The  College  of  Agriculture  has  recently  introduced  several  new  de- 
partments, and  is  rapidly  extending  its  sphere  of  usefulness.  Scientific 
education  in  agriculture  is  coming  to  be  recognized  as  one  of  the  most 
important  branches  of  modern  learning,  and  the  University  is  putting 
itself  in  line  with  this  modern  movement.  In  addition  to  the  regular 
courses  in  agriculture,  horticulture,  veterinary  science,  stock  raising, 
dairying,  etc.,  running  through  the  whole  year,  a  short  course  of  one  hun- 
dred lectures  in  the  month  of  January  is  now  given  every  year.  The 
recently  established  department  of  Dairying  has  already  proved  to  be 
quite  popular. 

The  School  of  Military  Science  and  Tactics,  in  charge  of  an  officer 
detailed  by  the  Secretary  of  War,  was  recently  enlarged  by  act  of  the 
Legislature  to  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  members.  Every  senator  and 
delegate  is  entitled  to  appoint  one  cadet  from  his  district,  and  the  re- 
mainder are  appointed  by  the  Regents  of  the  University.  Cadets  receive 
free  uniforms,  books,  stationery,  use  of  arms,  equipment,  etc.,  free.  The 
Armory  is  one  of  the  most  attractive  buildings  of  the  entire  group.  The 
names  of  the  three  most  distinguished  cadets  are  published  annually  in 
the  official  U.  S.  Army  Register,  and  one  of  the  three  may  be  given  an 
opportunity  to  become  a  commissioned  officer  in  the  U.  S.  Army. 

The  School  of  Music  and  the  School  of  Fine  Arts  were  founded  in  1898, 
and  their  growth  has  been  very  rapid.  In  the  School  of  Music  alone  there 
are  now  eight  instructors,  and  students  are  drawn  from  many  sections  of 
the  country. 

Taken  as  a  whole,  it  is  entirely  safe  to  say  that  no  college  or  university 
in  America  has  had  greater  growth  and  development  during  the  past 
decade  than  West  Virginia  University.  It  is  now  recognized  as  one  of 
the  leading  institutions  of  the  country,  and  is  much  in  advance  of  many  of 
the  older  institutions  which  had  wide  reputation  before  West  Virginia 
University  had  passed  beyond  the  stage  of  the  old  Monongalia  Academy. 

The  administrative  officer,  President  Daniel  Boardman  Purinton,  Ph. 
D.,  LL.  D.,  is  a  man  in  whom  all  of  the  people  of  the  State  have  the 
utmost  confidence.  His  scholarship,  tact,  judgment  and  experience,  to- 
gether with  his  personal  acquaintance  with  the  conditions  and  needs  of 
this  State,  fit  him  to  be  an  ideal  President  of  the  commonwealth's  chief 
Institution  of  learning. 

The  present  Board  of  Regents  is  one  of  the  best  that  any  State  insti- 
tution ever  had.  It  is  composed  of  Hon.  F.  P.  McNeil,  of  Wheeling;  Hon. 
J.  R.  Trotter,  of  Buckhannon;  Hon.  J.  B.  Finley,  of  Parkersburg;  Hon. 
T.  P.  Jacobs,  of  New  Martinsville;  Hon.  C.  M.  Babb,  of  Falls;  Hon.  C.  E. 
Haworth,  of  Huntington;  Hon.  E.  M.  Grant,  of  Morgantown;  Hon.  D.  C. 
Gallaher,  of  Charleston,  and  Hon.  L.  J.  Williams,  of  Lewisburg. 


WEST  VIRGINIA.  65 

Preparatory  Branch  of  the  West  Virginia   Univer- 
sity at  Montgomery 

BY    GEO.    W.     CONLEY,     ASSISTANT    PRINCIPAL 

Some  years  ago  it  became  apparent  that  those  who  were  situated  far 
from  the  University  should  have  local  schools  established  in  which  their 
children  might  receive  at  least  enough  training  to  admit  them  to  the  col- 
lege departments  of  the  University.  Most  especially  did  some  of  the  south- 
ern sections  of  the  State  feel  the  need  of  such  a  school.  As  an  outgrowth 
of  this  sentiment,  in  the  year  1895  State  Senator  T.  P.  Davies  and  John 
McNabb  of  Fayette  county  strongly  urged  the  establishment  of  a  State 
school  in  their  section  of  the  State,  that  it  might  not  only  save  much  ex- 
pense on  the  part  of  those  who  wished  to  give  their  children  a  thorough 
preparation  for  college,  but  also  that  the  community  favored  by  the  loca- 
tion of  the  school  in  its  midst  might  have  the  advantages  that  such  an  in- 
stitution brings  to  any  locality.  So  the  Legislature,  by  an  act  passed  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1895,  established  a  school  at  Montgomery,  Fayette  county,  to  be 
known  as  the  Preparatory  Branch  of  the  West  Virginia  University.  At  the 
same  time  it  appropriated  $10,000  to  purchase  suitable  grounds  and 
erect  suitable  buildings.  The  act  also  provided  that  the  school  should 
be  under  the  control  of  a  Board  of  Regents  consisting  of  the  State  Super- 
intendent of  Free  Schools,  and  the  Board  of  Regents  of  West  Virginia 
University. 

The  Montgomery  heirs  generously  gave  two  acres  of  sloping  ground 
overlooking  the  town,  upon  which  was  erected  a  brick  structure  trimmed 
with  stone.  It  is  65x55  feet  and  two  stories  high  above  the  basement. 

The  school  should  have  opened  not  later  than  September  1,  1896,  but 
it  was  not  found  practicable  to  open  it  till  the  first  of  the  following 
January,  at  which  time  it  was  put  in  operation  with  Mr.  E.  C.  Bennett 
as  principal  and  Miss  Ruby  Ray  Knight  as  assistant.  About  thirty  pupils 
were  enrolled  at  first  and  it  was  under  great  difficulties  that  the  work 
begun  was  carried  on.  Much  credit  is  due  to  Senator  T.  P.  Davies  for  the 
aid  he  gave  at  this  time,  even  giving  his  personal  efforts  for  some  time  to 
make  teachers  and  pupils  as  comfortable  as  possible.  The  local  workers 
were  greatly  aided  by  the  encouragement  and  help  of  the  Executive  Board, 
of  whom  the  Hon.  Virgil  A.  Lewis  and  James  F.  Brown  deserve  especial 
mention  fpr  the  zeal  with  which  they  engaged  in  the  work.  Without 
unusual  effort  on  their  part  the  school  could  hardly  have  been  started. 

No  furniture  or  apparatus  of  any  kind  was  at  hand  when  the  term 
opened.  Chairs  and  stoves  were  borrowed.  So,  with  a  few  chairs  that  the 
pupils  carried  from  room  to  room  as  classes  changed,  with  borrowed 
stoves,  without  blackboards,  and  with  the  continual  noise  of  the  carpenter's 
hammer,  the  pioneer  work  of  preparatory  schools  in  West  Virginia  began. 
The  first  year  was  prosperous  withal  and  the  enrollment  greatly  in- 
creased. 

In  September,  1897,  Mr.  Bennett  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Josiah  Keely, 
and  Mr.  Lloyd  L.  Friend  was  added  to  the  teaching  force.  Mr.  Keely 


€4  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 

brought  to  his  work  an  indomitable  will  and  energy,  and  by  untiring 
labor  with  the  aid  of  competent  teachers  built  the  school  up  by  steady, 
solid  growth,  until  at  present  it  is  of  inestimable  value  to  the  community 
and  to  those  who  are  cut  off  from  close  communication  with  the  mother 
institution. 

The  growth  of  the  school  and  the  difficulties  of  obtaining  board  soon 
made  it  imperative  that  a  dormitory  should  be  built.  So  the  Legis- 
lature of  1897  appropriated  $5,000  for  that  purpose.  It  was  ready  to  be 
occupied  January  1,  1899.  Mrs.  Robinson  took  charge  as  matron.  m  Sep- 
tember, 1900,  she  was  succeeded  by  her  daughter-in-law,  Mrs.  Frank  Robin- 
son, who  served  until  June,  1906.  The  present  matron,  is  Mrs.  Florella 
Harris,  of  Mason  county.  The  dormitory  has  been  a  source  of  pride  to  the 
school  and  a  great  help  in  the  way  of  obtaining  good  work  and  keeping 
up  a  good  standard.  So  great  has  been  the  demand  for  room  that  the 
Legislature  of  1903  appropriated  $10,000  for  another  building  to  be  used 
partly  for  school  purposes  and  partly  for  a  dormitory.  With  the  occu- 
pancy of  the  new  building  dormitory  accommodations  for  about  45  pupils 
were  provided  for. 

Meanwhile  the  growth  of  the  school  caused  some  additions  to  be  made 
to  the  teaching  force.  In  October,  1898,  Miss  Marian  F.  Cabell  entered 
to  organize  a  music  department;  she  also  taught  the  French  language 
and  Ancient  History.  In  1898  Mr.  Friend  resigned  to  accept  the  Fellow 
ship  in  English  at  West  Virginia  University  and  Mr.  Altha  Warman  took 
his  place.  Mr.  Warman  remained  till  1901,  when  he  resigned  in  order  to 
pursue  the  study  of  law.  At  the  same  time  Miss  Knight  also  resigned. 
The  two  vacancies  were  filled  by  Miss  Drusilla  V.  Johnson  and  Mr.  A.  G. 
McChesney.  Another  member  was  also  added  in  the  person  of  Miss  Han- 
nah L.  Jones,  who  taught  German  and  English.  In  1902  Mr.  McChesney 
was  succeeded  by  Mr.  G.  W.  Conley,  who  took  up  the  forjner's  work  as 
teacher  of  Latin.  Again  in  1903  some  changes  were  made  in  the  faculty. 
Mr.  Keely  was  given  leave  of  absence  for  one  year  in  order  to  pursue 
studies  at  Harvard  University.  Miss  Johnson  resigned  to  accept  a  position 
in  West  Virginia  University,  and  Miss  Jones  to  become  a  student  at  the 
same  place.  Mr.  Conley  was  made  acting  principal  for  the  year,  assisted 
by  Miss  Mabelle  Scott,  Miss  Eva  L.  Crago,  Miss  Marian  F.  Cabell,  and 
Mr.  Henry  J.  Hervey. 

On  the  return  of  the  Principal  in  1904,  Mr.  Hervey  retired  from  the 
teaching  force.  Miss  Crago  resigned  the  following  year  to  take  up  work 
in  the  Wheeling  schools  and  Miss  Harriet  Cutts  was  elected  to  take  her 
place.  Miss  Cutts  is  a  graduate  of  the  State  University. 

In  the  spring  term  of  1905,  Miss  Lona  Holt  was  elected  to  do  special 
work  for  that  term.  She  was  followed  by  a  graduate  from  Kentucky  State 
College.  Miss  Lucie  Norvell,  who  teaches  French  and  History.  Miss  Cabell 
was  succeeded  by  Miss  Ella  White  in  the  music  department. 

The  school  has  passed  the  experimental  stage  and  has  proved  to  the 
satisfaction  of  all  that  it  pays  to  conduct  a  school  for  purely  preparatory 
work,  that  the  commonwealth  that  supports  such  institutions  is  making  a 
vast  stride  toward  the  upbuilding  of  loyal  and  intelligent  citizenship.  No 


WEST  VIRGINIA.  65 

professional  work  is  done  here,  but  the  aim  is  to  lay  a  good  foundation 
for  learning  and  culture. 

The  enrollment  reaches  over  a  hundred  each  year.  Along  with  the 
growth  in  numbers  came  an  equal  growth  in  other  respects.  An  imposing 
building  208  feet  in  length,  equipped  with  all  the  modern  conveniences, 
such  as  electric  lights,  water  supply,  steam  heating,  etc.,  stands  upon 
the  beautiful  campus  overlooking  the  prosperous  little  town.  The  school 
has  a  library  of  about  sixteen  hundred  selected  books  to  which  new  books 
are  being  added  from  time  to  time.  Upon  the  reading  table  are  found 
the  current  numbers  of  several  of  the  best  periodicals  and  papers,  thus 
giving  an  ample  opportunity  for  the  widening  and  developing  of  the  minds 
of  the  pupils.  For  physical  exercise  and  care  of  health  a  gymnasium  has 
been  partly  fitted  up,  and  some  attention  has  been  given  to  foot-ball  and 
base-ball.  A  laboratory  for  physics  has  been  equipped  and  all  experimental 
work  necessary  to  a  preparatory  course  can  be  done  with  the  best  of 
modern  apparatus.  Many  of  the  other  conveniences  which  mark  progres- 
sive schools  may  be  found  here. 

A  high  standard  has  been  steadily  maintained.  Those  who  have 
finished  the  course  and  have  gone  to  the  University  have  found  their 
preparation  equal  to  the  best  there.  By  the  aid  of  the  dormitory  in 
which  regular  hours  are  kept,  a  standard  of  thoroughness  that  could  not 
otherwise  be  reached  has  been  maintained. 


Preparatory  Branch  ol  the  West  Virginia  Univer- 
sity at  Keyser 


The  Preparatory  Branch  of  the  West  Virginia  University  at  Keyser 
came  into  existence  by  an  act  of  the  Legislature  passed  February  15,  1901. 
Judge  F.  M.  Reynolds,  of  Keyser,  a  member  of  the  House  of  Delegates  from 
Mineral  county,  framed  and  introduced  the  bill,  and  was  chiefly  instru- 
mental in  securing  its  passage.  He  was  greatly  aided  in  this,  however, 
by  other  friends  of  the  measure,  especially  by  Col.  Thomas  B.  Davis,  of 
Keyser,  who  donated  seventeen  acres  of  land  as  a  site  upon  which  to  erect 
the  buildings  of  the  school.  This  bill  carried  with  it  an  appropriation 
of  twenty  thousand  dollars  for  the  erection  of  a  suitable  building, 
and  empowered  the  Governor  of  the  State  to  appoint  a  board  of  Regents 
consisting  of  seven  members,  the  State  Superintendent  of  Free  Schools 
to  be  a  member  ex-offlcio,  and  the  remaining  six  members  to  be  appointed 
from  the  counties  composing  the  territory  of  the  school.  The  counties 
designated  were  Mineral,  Hampshire,  Hardy,  Grant,  Pendleton,  Morgan, 
Tucker,  Randolph  and  Preston. 

In  compliance  with  the  requirements  of  this  bill,  Governor  White 
appointed  as  members  of  the  Board  of  Regents  for  the  School  the  follow- 
ing gentlemen: 

To  serve  for  two  years — Col.  Thomas  B.  Davis,  of  Keyser,  Mineral 


68  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 

building.  The  two  literary  society  halls  were  painted  and  provided  with 
tables,  chairs,  chandeliers,  curtains  and  other  substantial  and  attractive 
furniture.  The  walls  of  the  corridors  and  library  were  also  painted.  One 
of  the  most  pressing  needs  was  a  supply  of  lockers  for  the  gymnasium. 
Three  dozen  of  these  were  purchased  within  the  year. 

The  graduating  class  of  this  year  consisted  of  five  members,  one 
young  woman  and  four  young  men. 

One  additional  teacher  was  appointed  at  the  close  of  this  year. 
Homer  A.  Hott,  a  graduate  of  the  school,  was  made  assistant  in  the  com- 
mercial department. 

GROUNDS    AND    BUILDINGS. 

No  more  beautiful  school  site  is  to  be  found  anywhere  in  West  Vir- 
ginia than  that  upon  which  the  Keyser  Preparatory  School  stands.  It  is 
a  historic  one,  being  old  "Fort  Hill,"  upon  which  stood  a  Union  fortifi- 
cation in  time  of  the  Civil  War.  It  affords  a  splendid  view  of  the  famous 
and  beautiful  New  Creek  Valley  on  one  side;  and  on  the  other,  of  the 
Back  Bone  Ridge  of  the  Allegheny  mountains  across  the  Potomac  in 
Maryland. 

A  school  building  has  been  erected  that  is  in  keeping  with  the  site 
upon  which  it  stands.  It  is  a  commodious  brick  and  stone  structure, 
built  ID  the  most  modern  style  of  school  architecture,  and  is  considered 
one  of  the  handsomest  and  most  complete  school  buildings  in  the  State. 
The  basement  of  this  building  contains  the  gymnasium  and-  eight  rooms 
us  ul  for  chemical  and  physical  laboratories,  locker  rooms,  bath  rooms, 
etc.  On  the  first  floor  are  the  offices,  reception  room,  study  hall,  library 
and  five  recitation  rooms.  On  the  second  floor  are  two  halls  for  the  use 
of  literary  societies,  three  recitation  rooms,  and  the  large  assembly  hall. 
This  building  is  furnished  throughout  with  attractive  and  durable  fur- 
niture, and  the  departments  are  equipped  with  necessary  apparatus.  A 
separate  heating  plant  stands  some  distance  away  from  the  main  building. 


Marshall  College  State  Normal  School 

BY   PRINCIPAL    L.    J.    CORBLY. 
LEADING    FACTS    OF   THE    SCHOOL'S    HISTORY. 

1.  Established  in  1837. 

2.  First  name,  "Marshall  Academy." 

3.  Named   for  Chief   Justice  John  Marshall   of  the   Supreme   Court   of 

the  United   States. 

4.  First  building  erected  on  the  site  of  the  east  wing  of  the  present 

dormitory. 

5.  Changed    from    an    academy    to    a    college    in    1858,    and    the   name 

changed   accordingly   from   "Marshall  Academy"   to   "Marshall   Col- 
lege." 

6.  Made  the  "State  Normal  School"  of  West  Virginia  in  1867,  the -name 

"Marshall  College''  being  retained  by  legislative  enactment. 


WEST  VIRGINIA.  69 

7.  Five  branch  schools  to  "Marshall  College"   established  between  the 

years  1867  and  1871  at  Fairmont,  Shepherdstown,  Concord  Church 
(now  Athens),  West  Liberty,  and  Glenville. 

8.  Constitutional  amendment  passed  in  1871  prohibiting  the  establish- 

ing of  any  more  "branch"  normals. 

9.  A   new   $38,000   building,   erected    in   1874,   which,   completely    over- 

hauled and   remodeled   in   1899,  constitutes  the  west  wing  of  the 
present  dormitory. 

10.  A  second  building,  $27,000,  erected  in  1895. 

11.  A   third   building   erected   in   1897, — the   east   wing   of    the   present 

dormitory. 

12.  A  fourth  building  erected  in  1899. 

13.  A  fifth  building,  under  process  of  construction  at  this  writing. 

14.  Nucleus    of   a    model    school    organized    and    placed    under    the    in- 

struction of  Miss  Mabel  Brown  in  1897,  but  discontinued  in  1899 
owing  to  lack  of  funds. 

15.  Model  and  teachers'  training  school  organized  and  placed  under  the 

superintendence  of  Miss  Anna  Cummings,  January,  1902. 

BUILDINGS     AND    GROUNDS. 

SCHOOL  BUILDINGS:  These  are  located  in  the  center  of  the  school 
grounds  on  an  elevation  of  about  20  feet  above  the  surrounding  streets, 
overlooking  the  entire  grounds,  a  wide  area  of  the  city,  the  Ohio  hills  on 
the  north,  and  the  West  Virginia  hills  on  the  south. 

With  the  addition  of  the  new  building  our  school  edifice  now  con- 
sists of  a  series  of  five  buildings  solidly  connected,  a  continuous  hallway 
extending  from  one  end  to  the  other. 

The  buildings  have  their  main  frontage  on  Third  avenue  and  on 
Sixteenth  street. 

The  Third  avenue  or  north  frontage  is  about  400  feet  in  length,  and 
faces  the  Ohio  river,  two  blocks  distant,  with  the  fine  range  of  hills  that 
fringe  its  banks  on  the  Ohio  side. 

The  Sixteenth  street  or  west  frontage  is  140  feet  in  length,  facing  the 
main  part  of  the  city. 

The  secondary  frontages  are  the  College  avenue  or  south  front,  400 
feet,  and  the  Seventeenth  street  or  east  front,  55  feet. 

The  two  eastern  sections  of  the  buildings,  composed  of  three  wings, 
26x55  feet,  40x70  feet,  and  40x73  feet,  compose  the  ladies'  dormitory  sec- 
tions known  as  College  Hall.  Between  these  and  the  other  sections  there 
is  a  heavy  brick  wall  with  no  openings  in  it  above  the  first  floor. 

The  three  western  sections  are  given  up  exclusively  to  school  work. 
These  are,  respectively,  beginning  with  the  most  eastern,  70x78,  55x84, 
and  101x140  feet.  All  have  been  built  since  1897,  one  excepted,  and  that 
one  was  thoroughly  overhauled  inside  and  out  in  1899,  thus  making  the 
entire  series  new  and  up-to-date,  in  their  appointments. 

SCHOOL  GROUNDS:  The  school  grounds,  located  between  Third 
avenue  on  the  north  and  College  avenue  on  the  south,  and  between  Six- 
teenth street  on  the  west  and  Seventeenth  street  on  the  east,  two  city 


70  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 

blocks  in  length  and  one  and  one-half  blocks  in  width,  contain  even  six- 
teen acres  of  land,  for  which  nature  has  done  as  much,  perhaps,  as  for 
any  school  grounds  of  their  size  in  the  United  States,  toward  adapting 
them  for  the  purpose  for  which  they  have  been  appropriated.  The  ele- 
vated center,  seemingly  intended  to  receive  some  royal  palace,  extends 
from  within  200  feet  of  the  west  end,  where  the  summit  of  the  somewhat 
abrupt  but  extremely  graceful  incline  from  the  Sixteenth  street  level  is 
crowned  with  a  large  widespreading  beech  and  some  smaller  trees  ten  to 
twelve  inches  in  diameter,  eastward  600  feet  where  it  terminates  in  a  deep 
terrace  thirty  feet  high,  which  terrace  serves  as  the  west  bank  of  a  deep 
ravine.  This  ravine,  or  brooklet,  enters  the  grounds  at  the  southeast 
corner  and  winds  its  way  in  deep,  graceful  curves  northwestward  through 
the  grounds,  lined  throughout  its  course  with  noble  trees  varying  in 
diameter  from  ten  to  thirty  inches.  It  is  the  beautiful  curving  of  the 
deep  banks  of  this  brooklet,  fringed  with  stately  trees  and  covered  with 
verdure,  especially  at  its  northwestern  portion,  that  Dr.  Goss,  of  Cincin- 
nati, thought  the  most  beautiful  spot  he  had  ever  seen  on  a  College 
campus.  This  brooklet,  with  an  arm  extending  eastward  and  covered 
with  over  fifty  trees,  forms  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  elevated  center  of 
the  campus  referred  to  above.  Beyond  the  ravine  and  about  twenty  feet 
lower  than  the  elongated  elevation  of  the  center,  to  the  eastward,  are  the 
young  men's  athletic  grounds,  about  four  acres,  and  almost  entirely  level. 
The  northern  or  Third  avenue  frontage  descends  by  .a  steep,  carefully 
cultivated  terrace  some  twenty  feet  from  the  high  central  portion,  and 
from  the  foot  of  the  terrace  to  Third  avenue  it  is  nearly  entirely  level. 
On  this  portion  are  the  main  entrance,  (a  brick  walk  twelve  feet  wide), 
fifteen  of  the  finest  old  trees,  the  croquet  court,  and  one  of  the  tennis 
courts.  To  the  south  of  the  rise  extending  east  and  west  through  the 
center,  the  grounds  slope  gently  to  College  avenue,  this  section  being  a 
little  wider  than  the  northern  frontage.  The  driveway  enters  from  Col- 
lege avenue,  about  the  middle  from  east  to  west,  comes  at  right  angles  to 
the  buildings,  curves  gracefully  around  the  large  sycamore  at  the  imme- 
diate south  of  College  Hall,  and  retraces  itself.  The  eastern  portion  of  the 
south  side  is  given  up  to  the  girls'  basket  ball  grounds. 

Besides  over  100  small  trees,  chiefly  sugar  maple,  planted  within  the 
last  five  years,  and  the  shrubbery  scattered  over  the  Third  avenue  front, 
there  are  the  following  trees:  Pawpaw  1,  unnamed  1,  cherry  1,  mulberry 
1,  weeping  mulberry  2,  ash  3,  locust  3,  poplar  3,  sugar  4,  walnut  4,  gum 
6,  oak  11,  beech  23,  lombardy  poplar  25,  sycamore  36,  elm  67;  total  1S2, 
more  than  100  of  which  are  large  trees,  and  few  of  the  182  are  less  than 
eight  to  ten  inches  in  diameter. 

Paralleling  the  longer  dimensions  of  the  grounds,  (the  eastern- 
western  dimension),  and  but  two  city  blocks  to  the  north,  is  the  Ohio 
river;  one  block  nearer  on  the  same  side  is  the  B.  &  O.  Railway,  and 
bounding  the  northern  front  is  Third  avenue,  100  feet  wide,  on  which 
is  the  Camden  Interstate  Railway,  (electric),  connecting  the  College  with 
all  parts  of  the  city,  with  Guyandotte  four  miles  to  the  east,  Central  City 
four  miles  west,  Ceredo  eight  miles  west,  Kenova  ten  miles,  Catlettsburg, 
Ky.,  twelve  miles,  Clyffside  Park  with  its  beautiful  groves  and  beautiful 


WEST  VIRGINIA.  71 

lake,  fourteen  miles,  Ashland,  Ky.,  sixteen  miles  and  Ironton,  Ohio, 
twenty-one  miles  west,  students  from  which  centers  and  from  the  inter- 
mediate smaller  towns  landing  from  this,  one  of  the  finest  electric  roads 
in  the  United  States,  at  the  very  gate  of  the  College.  This  electric  line 
brings  Marshall  College  in  immediate  connection  with  the  homes  of  about 
75,000  people. 

To  the  opposite  side  of  the  grounds,  (the  College  avenue  or  south  side) 
and  three  blocks  distant,  is  the  C.  &  O.  Railway,  and  but  one  and  one- 
half  blocks  distant  is  the  Sixth  avenue  branch  of  the  Camden  Inter- 
State  Railway. 

ANNUAL  ENROLLMENTS:  We  have  no  catalogues  for  the  years 
1867  to  1871.  1872  to  1875,  1878  to  1880,  and  1881  to  1887.  Outside  of 
these  years  the  enrollment  of  Marshall  College  since  it  was  made  a  State 
Normal  has  been  as  follows: 

1871-'72 195  1894-'95 ,.  .183 

1875-'76 97  1895-'96 223 

1876-'77 73  1896-'97 .258 

1877-'78 137  1897-'98 278 

1880-'81 .123  1898-'9£> , 360 

1887-'88 163  1899-'00 452 

1888-'S9 172  19QO-'01 .533 

1889-'90 165  1901-'02 639 

1890-'91 163  1902-'03 *787 

1891-'92 183  1903-'04 704 

1892-'93 137  1904-'05 740 

1893-'94..  ..152  1905-'06..  ..978 


The  total  value  of  the  school  property  is  $265,000. 


Total   number  of   graduates  since  Marshall   College  became  a   State 
Normal    School, — 488. 


Largest  number  of  graduates  previous  to  the  year  1905-'06, — 43. 
Number  in  the  class  of  1907,— 74. 


The  Fairmont  State  Normal  School 

BY    U.    S.    FLEMING,    PRINCIPAL. 

The  first  constitution  for  the  State  of  West  Virginia  was  adopted  in 
1863  and  in  it  wise  provision  was  made  for  an  efficient  system  of  free 
public  schools. 

At  the  beginning  the  greatest  need  of  these  schools  was  of  capable 
and  qualified  teachers,  and  this  great  need  continues  to  this  day  in  every 


*At  the  end  of  the  session  of  1902-'03  the  Business  Department  was 
discontinued,  hence  the  drop  in  enrollment  for  the  year  1903-'04  com- 
pared with  the  preceding  year. 


72  HISTOBY  OF  EDUCATION. 

county  of  the  State.  In  the  60's  many  private  schools  were  organized  for 
the  preparation  of  teachers,  among  the  largest  and  best  of  which  was  the 
private  Normal  established  in  the  summer  of  1865  at  Fairmont,  by  Mr. 
J.  N.  Boyd  and  Dr.  Dennis  B.  Dorsey.  Out  of  this  school  grew  a  char- 
tered institution  known  as  "The  Regency  of  the  West  Virginia  Normal 
School,"  controlled  by  a  local  stock  company.  In  March,  1868,  in  pur- 
suance of  an  act  of  the  State  Legislature  the  property  of  this  stock  com- 
pany consisting  of  a  large  corner  lot  and  a  building  partly  erected,  was 
purchased  by  the  State  for  $2,000  and  the  name  of  the  school  changed  to 
"The  Fairmont  State  Normal  School." 

LOCATION. 

When  this  State  Normal  School  was  begun  in  Fairmont  nearly  40 
years  ago  the  town  did  not  have  a  thousand  inhabitants.  On  account  of 
the  oil  and  coal  developments,  principally,  the  town  has  crossed  the  Mo- 
nongahela  river  and  a  seemingly  impassable  ravine,  and  has  spread  over 
more  hills  than  Rome  had,  until  it  is  a  "city  set  on  hills  that  can  not  be 
hid." 

BUILDINGS. 

When  the  State  bought  the  property  of  the  private  Normal  School 
for  $2,000  it  appropriated  $3,000  additional  on  condition  that  the  county 
of  Marion  raise  and  add  to  the  fund  $2,000  more  to  erect  and  to  equip 
properly  the  building  already  in  course  of  erection. 

In  1872  the  Legislature  appropriated  $5,000  on  condition  that  the 
Fairmont  district  raise  an  equal  sum  to  build  a  suitable  front  to  the 
wing  first  erected.  With  this  $10,000  a  three  story  building,  40x80,  was 
constructed  of  red  brick  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Quincy  streets. 

In  1891  the  State  sold  its  interest  in  these  buildings  to  the  Board  of 
Education  of  Fairmont  district  for  public  school  use  for  $15,000. 

The  same  year  the  Legislature  appropriated  $20,000  to  be  applied 
with  the  $15,000  to  the  erection  of  a  new  Normal  School  building.  The 
Fairmont  Development  Company  was  then  opening  up  an  addition  to 
Fairmont  on  the  South  Side,  and  from  this  company  was  secured  a 
whole  square  bounded  on  the  east  and  west  by  Gaston  and  Fairmont 
avenues  and  on  the  north  and  south  by  Second  and  Third  streets. 

Here  was  erected  the  present  commodious  three  story  building  front- 
ing on  Fairmont  avenue  100  feet  and  extending  towards  Gaston  avenue 
150  feet. 

The  building  is  of  red  brick  with  stone  sills  and  lintels,  finished 
throughout  with  West  Virginia  pine.  The  entrance  from  Fairmont 
avenue  is  adorned  with  a  handsome  vestibule  ornamented  with  a  steel 
ceiling  and  approached  by  steps  of  Cleveland  sandstone,  platform  and 
ornate  buttresses  to  the  vestibule  being  of  the  same  material.  The  lot 
has  been  carefully  graded  and  terraced,  and  surrounded  and  protected  on 
each  of  its  four  sides  by  a  substantial  stone  wall.  There  is  no  spot  in  all 
Fairmont  more  beautiful  than  the  square  upon  which  is  situated  the 
Normal  School  building  and  the  Woman's  Hall,  fronting  upon  a  campus  of 
deep  green  sloping  gradually  down  to  Fairmont  avenue. 


SCIENCE  BUILDING,  WEST  VIRGINIA  UNIVERSITY. 


UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY  AT  THE  LEFT. 


WEST  VIRGINIA.  73 

• 

Closely  adjoining  the  Normal  on  the  northeastern  corner  is  the  new 
building  lately  erected  called — 

THE   WOMAN'S   HALL. 

The  Legislature  of  1905  appropriated  $17,500  for  the  year  ending 
September  30,  1905,  and  $17,500  for  the  year  ending  September  30,  1906, 
to  build  and  furnish  a  girls'  Dormitory  for  the  Fairmont  State  Normal 
School,  but  Governor  A.  B.  White  vetoed  the  appropriation  for  1905, 
leaving  the  Normal  School  Regents  only  $17,500  with  which  to  erect  a 
suitable  building.  How  they  accomplished  so  much  with  one-half  the 
sum  apparently  necessary  is  the  wonder  of  all  who  examine  the  build- 
ing. The  Dormitory,  or  Woman's  Hall,  as  it  is  now  named,  is  a  beautiful 
three-story  building  on  the  same  lot  as  the  Normal,  containing  kitchen, 
pantry,  dining  room,  three  rooms  for  housekeeper  and  family,  seven 
large  rooms  for  teachers,  twenty-two  rooms  for  students  two  in  a  room, 
besides  parlors,  reception  halls  and  study  hall.  All  rooms  are  finished  in 
oak  and  teachers'  and  students'  rooms  are  furnished  with  attractive  fur- 
niture— iron  beds,  the  best  springs,  mattresses,  wardrobes,  center-tables, 
washstands  and  bowls,  pillows,  rockers,  chairs,  etc. 

Forty  students  and  teachers  were  provided  for  in  Woman's  Hall 
during  the  fall  term  ending  December  23,  1906,  the  students  paying  only  $3 
to  $3.50  a  week  according  to  size  and  location  of  rooms. 

PRINCIPALS. 

The  first  State  Superintendent  of  free  schools,  the  Hon.  Wm.  R. 
White,  at  the  end  of  his  term  in  1868,  became  the  first  Principal  of  the 
Fairmont  State  Normal  school.  For  four  years  he  secured  from  the  Pea- 
body  fund  each  year  $500  for  the  Normal  proper,  and  $1,000  for  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  Fairmont  which  were  then  attached  to  the  Normal  to  some 
extent  for  the  observation  and  training  of  the  Normal  students.  This 
union  after  a  few  years  proving  unsatisfactory,  the  public  schools  were 
in  1876  organized  into  a  separate  system  under  the  supervision  of  Mr. 
Thos.  C.  Miller  who  was  graduated  from  the  Normal  in  the  class  of  1873. 

A  list  of  the  Principals  of  the  Fairmont  State  Normal  School  is  here- 
with presented  with  the  years  of  service  of  each. 

Wm.  R.  White,  1868.  John  Roemer,  1890. 

J.  C.  Gilchrist,  1871.  J.  C.  Gwynn,  1891. 

*J.  G.  Blair,  1872.  J.  Walter  Barnes,  1892. 

Miss  M.  L.  Dickey,  1878.  *Marcus  M.  Ross,  1902. 

U.   S.  Fleming,  1882.  M.  C.  Lough   (6  mos.),  1903. 

Conrad  A.  Sipe,  1883.  W.  L.  McCowan,  1903. 

Miss  N.  R.  C.  Cameron,  1889.  U.  S.  Fleming,  1905. 

COURSES    OP    STUDY. 

Four  strong  courses  of  study  are  presented  to  all  who  wish  diplomas 
in  the  regular  studies,  each  course  requiring  four  years  of  study  for 


*Dr.  J.  G.  Blair  and  Prof.  M.  M.  Ross  laid  down  their  lives  while 
serving  the  State  as  Principals  of  the  school  and  though  dead  they  still 
speak  to  us  and  their  good  works  do  follow  them. 


74  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 

those  who  are  prepared  to  enter  upon  them.  They  are  the  Normal 
Course,  Classic  Course,  Modern  Language  Course,  and  Science  Course, 
besides  two  to  four  year  courses  in  Elocution,  Instrumental  and  Vocal 
Music  and  Drawing  and  the  finer  Arts,  Bookkeeping  and  a  short  Bus- 
iness course. 

MODEL     SCHOOL. 

There  is  now  a  model  and  training  school  in  the  Normal  building, 
consisting  of  children  of  the  first,  second  and  third  school  years,  under 
the  supervision  and  teaching  of  Miss  M.  E.  George,  a  graduate  of  the 
Buffalo  (N.  Y.)  State  Normal  School  and  a  teacher  of  several  years  ex- 
perience in  Model  teaching,  in  Kindergarten  work,  and  as  Critic  teacher 
in  Normal  schools.  In  this  Model  School  the  advanced  Normal  students 
take  observation  lessons  and  recite  to  Miss  George  as  Critic  teacher  the 
results  of  their  observation.  Actual  practice  with  classes  follows. 

LIBEAEY    AND    READING    ROOM. 

In  one  of  the  large  rooms  of  the  Normal  nearly  4,000  books  may  be 
found,  catalogued  under  the  Dewey  decimal  system,  and  arranged  on 
shelves  by  the  librarian  according  to  their  subjects  and  numbers.  Sev- 
eral cyclopedias  including  the  Britannica  will  be  found.  The  leading 
magazines  and  papers  to  the  number  of  forty  have  their  places  upon  a 
long  table  across  one  end  of  the  room,  and  a  librarian  keeps  open  the 
library  a  certain  number  of  hours  each  day. 

DIPLOMAS. 

All  students  who  satisfactorily  complete  any  of  the  regular  courses 
of  study  will  receive  a  suitable  diploma  from  the  State  Department  of 
Public  Schools.  One  holding  a  normal  diploma  after  three  years  of  suc- 
cessful teaching,  two  of  wh'ich  years  must  immediately  precede  his  ap- 
plication, shall  be  entitled  without  examination  to  a  State  professional 
certificate  good  for  six  years,  and  then  by  renewal,  after  teaching  a  cer- 
tain number  of  years,  effective  altogether  for  thirty  years. 


West  Liberty  State  Normal  School 

BY   LORAIN    FORTNEY,    PRINCIPAL. 

In  1838  the  Reverend  Nathan  Shotwell  established  a  school  at  West 
Liberty,  Virginia  (now  West  Virginia),  which  he  called  the  West  Lib- 
erty Academy.  The  opening  year  was  one  of  bright  prospects  with  an 
enrollment  of  65  students. 

Notwithstanding  the  good  beginning  thus  made  many  difficulties 
were  to  be  experienced  before  the  Normal  was  established  in  1870.  The 
original  building,  a  substantial  brick  structure  built  by  the  contrib- 
utions of  the  friends  of  the  school,  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1840;  and  for 
many  years  the  school  had  to  use  buildings  not  very  well  adapted  to  the 
work.  Progress  was  under  these  circumstances  difficult. 


WEST  VIRGINIA.  75 

However,  in  1857  under  prospect  of  state  aid  the  public  spirited 
citizens  came  to  the  rescue  and  raised  by  subscription  sufficient  funds 
to  erect  a  suitable  building  for  the  school.  This  building,  which  was 
later  remodeled,  is  the  older  part  of  the  structure  now  occupied  by  the 
Normal  and  is  a  two  story  brick  edifice  fifty  feet  by  eighty  feet.  Much 
credit  is  due  those  who  gave  their  time  and  money  to  this  work. 

At  the  completion  of  the  new  structure,  A.  P.  Ross,  A.  M.,  who  for 
sixteen  years  had  been  Professor  of  Ancient  Languages  at  Bethany  Col- 
lege, was  elected  principal  of  the  school.  Under  the  influence  of  the 
Civil  War  the  former  influence  o£  the  school  was  somewhat  lessened, 
since  many  of  the  students  enlisted  in  the  service  of  the  Union.  Pro- 
fessor Ross  resigned  in  1861,  and  was  succeeded  by  Professor  James 
Bradbury,  who  served  until  his  death  only  one  year  later.  During  the 
years  extending  from  the  death  of  Professor  Bradbury  up  to  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  Normal  in  1870,  the  principals  were  Professors  Dunning, 
J.  O.  Brown,  and  J.  M.  Frazier,  respectively. 

The  legislative  enactment  by  which  the  West  Liberty  State  Normal 
School  was  established  was  passed  in  1870.  The  act  authorized  the  pur- 
chase by  the  State  of  the  West  Liberty  Academy  building.  This  was 
done  and  the  school  opened  as  the  West  Liberty  State  Normal  School 
May  2,  1870.  The  school  was  thus  the  third  in  order  of  time  established 
in  this  State,  others  being  already  established  at  Huntington  and  Fair- 
mont respectively. 

Professor  F.  H.  Crago  was  the  first  principal  of  the  school  and 
served  successfully  in  that  capacity  for  three  years,  placing  the  school 
on  a  firm  basis.  Much  interest  was  taken  in  the  school  and  for  the 
year  closing  in  1873  there  were  110  students  including  the  model  school. 
At  his  resignation  from  the  Normal  in  1873  Professor  Crago  became  Su- 
perintendent of  the  Moundsville  public  school  where  he  served  for  sev- 
eral years.  He  is  now  Principal  of  Ritchie  School,  Wheeling,  a  position 
he  has  held  since  1890.  He  is  a  graduate  of  Waynesburg  College. 

Principal  Crago's  successor  was  James  R.  Morrow,  Ph.  D.,  a  grad- 
uate of  Jefferson  College.  Under  Principal  Morrow's  guidance  the 
school  did  good  work  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  financial  condi- 
tion of  the  state  made  ample  appropriations  impossible.  Mr.  Morrow 
served  as  principal  two  years.  He  was  for  many  years — until  his  death 
in  1904— Principal  of  the  Allegheny  (Pa.)  High  School. 

In  1875  J.  C.  Gwynn,  A.  B.,  a  graduate  of  Waynesburg  College,  was 
elected  principal  of  the  school.  He  resigned  in  1879  and  has  since  been 
principal  of  the  Fairmont  State  Normal  School  and  of  Madison  School 
of  Wheeling  and  Superintendent  of  the  Wellsburg  public  schools.  Dur- 
ing the  principalship  of  Mr.  Gwynn  the  Normal  experienced  success 
and  the  records  show  an  increased  enrollment. 

From  1879  to  1881  Robert  McPheeters  was  principal  of  the  school. 
He  was  a  man  of  scholarship  and  conducted  the  school  successfully  at 
a  time  when  the  lack  of  funds  was  especially  embarrassing.  Principal 
McPheeters  was  especially  proficient  in  astronomy. 

D.  T.  Williams,  A.  M.,  a  graduate  of  Waynesburg  College,  was 
principal  of  the  school  from  1881  to  1884.  He  afterwards  served  for 


76  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 

seventeen  years  as  Superintendent  of  the  Moundsville  public  schools 
and  is  now  Principal  of  Madison  School,  Wheeling.  In  all  his  school 
work  he  has  been  eminently  successful. 

From  1884  to  1886  J.  A.  Cox,  A.  M.,  M.  D.,  was  principal  and  did 
excellent  service  for  the  school.  Bethany  College  was  his  Alma  Mater. 
After  leaving  the  Normal  he  served  as  Superintendent  of  the  Martins- 
burg  public  schools.  He  is  now  practicing  medicine  in  Wheeling. 

Professor  R.  A.  Armstrong,  A.  M.,  a  graduate  of  the  West  Vir- 
ginia University,  became  principal  in  1886  and  served  the  school  for 
seven  years.  A  long  period  of  service  and  better  appropriations  en- 
abled Professor  Armstrong  to  improve  the  school  greatly.  The  en- 
rollment increased  considerably  and  the  school  was  strengthened  in 
several  ways.  Professor  Armstrong  since  then  has  done  post  graduate 
work  in  Chicago  and  Harvard  Universities  and  is  now  Professor  of 
the  English  Language  and  Literature  in  the  West  Virginia  Univer- 
sity. 

Professor  J.  N.  Deahl,  Ph.  D.,  a  graduate  of  Harvard  University, 
served  the  school  as  principal  from  1893  to  1898,  during  which  per- 
iod the  school  made  marked  progress  and  added  to  its  alumni  list 
many  worthy  young  men  and  women.  On  leaving  the  school  in  1898 
Professor  Deahl  entered  Teachers'  College  of  Columbia  University,  from 
which  re  received  the  A.  M.  and  Ph.  D.  degrees.  He  is  now  Professor 
of  Education  in  the  West  Virginia  University. 

While  Professor  Deahl  was  principal  the  Legislature  appropriated 
for  an  additional  building  to  be  used  by  the  school.  This  building  had, 
however,  been  completed  only  one  year  when  it  was  destroyed  by  fire. 
The  necessary  appropriation  for  rebuilding  was  secured  and  the  present 
structure  is  the  result.  It  consists  of  the  older  part  which  was  re- 
modeled and  a  newer  part  as  an  annex. 

In  1898  W.  B.  Cutright,  A.  B.,  a  graduate  of  the  West  Virginia 
Conference  Seminary  and  of  the  West  Virginia  University  was  elected 
principal  of  the  school  and  served  one  year,  retiring  at  that  time  to 
practice  law  at  Buckhannon,  W.  Va.  He  represented  Upshur  county  one 
term  in  the  State  Legislature. 

James  M.  Skinner,  Ph.  D.,  was  chosen  principal  in  1899,  having 
just  graduated  from  the  West  Virginia  University  with  the  degree  of 
Ph.  B.  Later  he  received  the  A.  M.  and  Ph.  D.  degrees  from  the  Illinois 
Wesleyan  University.  Professor  Skinner  served  the  school  successfully 
for  two  years  and  is  now  Vice  President  of  Morris  Harvey  College. 

W.  L.  McCowan,  Ph.  B.,  a  graduate  of  Marietta  College,  was  prin- 
cipal from  1901  to  1903.  He  had  been  Superintendent  of  the  Ravens- 
wood  public  schools  for  many  years  and  after  leaving  the  Normal  be- 
came principal  of  the  Fairmont  State  Normal  School.  He  is  at  present 
again  Superintendent  at  Ravenswood. 

Since  1903,  Lorain  Fortnoy  has  been  principal.  He  is  a  graduate 
of  the  West  Virginia  University  with  the  degrees  of  A.  B.  and  LL.  B. 
and  of  the  Western  University  of  Pennsylvania  with  the  degree  of 
Ph.  D.  During  his  incumbency  the  school  has  experienced  consid- 
erable increase  in  numbers,  the  enrollment  for  the  last  three  years 


WEST  VIRGINIA.  77 

being  greater  than  ever  before.  There  is  every  evidence  that  in  the 
years  to  come  the  school  will  increase  in  numbers  and  in  the  whole- 
some influence  it  is  exerting  on  the  public  schools  of  the  State. 

The  present  faculty  consists  of  the  following  persons:  Lorain 
Fortney,  Principal  and  instructor  in  Psychology  and  French;  Gallic  W. 
Curtis,  Training  and  English;  Maude  I.  Jefferson,  Science  and  History; 
Arthur  S.  Bell,  B.  S.,  Latin  and  Mathematics;  Mary  Louise  Yagar,  A.  B., 
German  and  History;  W.  H.  Tabler,  Mathematics  and  English;  Lucile 
Ware  Elliott,  Music;  Frank  Hipps,  Elocution  and  Physical  Culture; 
Mrs.  Emma  Glass,  Art. 

The  alumni  number  295,  almost  all  of  whom  have  taught  one  or  more 
terms  of  school.  Many  have  taught  for  several  years.  Others  have  be- 
come professional  teachers.  We  estimate  with  tolerable  accuracy  the 
cost  of  the  school  in  dollars,  but  it  is  impossible  to  fix  an  estimate  of  the 
influence  of  the  school  for  good. 

Not  only  has  the  school  provided  the  state  with  a  large  number 
of  graduates  to  train  her  youth,  but  it  has  sent  out  many  teachers  who 
have  not  completed  the  course.  Many  teachers  enter  the  school  and 
pursue  a  portion  of  the  course  that  will  be  especially  helpful  in  their 
work. 

The  field  of  academic  instruction  in  the  school  is  important. 
Courses  of  study  are  offered  that  equip  for  the  study  of  law,  medicine, 
and  engineering  in  universities  and  technical  schools.  The  school  has 
educated  many  for  the  various  fields  of  usefulness.  Many  of  the  grad- 
uates have  taken  college  courses  in  the  best  schools  of  the  country. 

West  Liberty,  the  home  of  the  school,  was  laid  out  during  the  sum- 
mer of  1783  and  received  town  rights  from  the  Assembly  of  Virginia, 
November  29,  1787.  The  people  are  religious,  cultured,  and  indus- 
trious. The  social  atmosphere  of  the  town  and  community  pervades 
the  school  and  contributes  to  its  life  and  success. 

The  location  of  the  town  is  favorable  to  school  work.  It  is  twelve 
miles  from  the  city  of  Wheeling,  far  enough  to  be  free  from  the  dis- 
tracting influences  of  city  life  and  near  enough  to  share  many  of  its 
advantages.  The  country  around  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  sections 
of  the  state  and  all  things  tend  to  render  the  school  homelike  and  a 
pleasant  place  for  mental  labor. 


Glenville  State  Normal  School 

BY    JOHN    C.    SHAW,    PRINCIPAL. 

The  Normal  building  is  located  in  a  beautiful  campus  on  an  eleva- 
tion facing  southwest,  overlooking  the  river  and  town.  The  entire 
campus  is  a  greensward  ornamented  with  trees  in  that  stage  of  life 
which  is  emblematic  of  sturdy  youth  full  of  hope  and  action.  Some 
provisions  are  made  on  the  campus  for  recreation  such  as  basket  ball 
and  lawn  tennis. 

The  present  building  is  a  substantial  brick  structure  in  part  erected 
in  1885  and  completed  as  it  now  stands  in  1894,  except  the  tower,  which 


78  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 

has  since  been  built  and  rebuilt.  While  the  building  is  not  massive  it 
is  modern  in  equipment  and  construction.  It  is  lighted  and  heated  with 
natural  gas  and  is  amply  provided  with  water.  It  contains  an  assembly 
hall,  study  hall,  six  class  rooms,  library,  laboratory,  music  room,  office, 
and  in  the  basement,  two  rooms  provided  for  gymnasium  purposes.  The 
class  rooms  are  not  large,  but  with  the  exception  of  an  occasional  class 
are  sufficiently  commodious  for  the  school  with  the  present  attendance. 
Each  room  is  provided  with  single  seats  and  desks  sufficient  to  accom- 
modate ordinary  classes.  The  walls  and  ceilings  of  most  of  the  rooms 
have  been  papered  within  the  past  three  years.  The  walls  have  been 
adorned  with  pictures  of  appropriate  subjects,  giving  the  rooms  in  gen- 
eral an  attractive  appearance.  The  library  contains  over  3,000  pur- 
chased volumes  and  about  10,000  volumes  of  public  documents.  The  se- 
lection of  books  has  been  made  with  a  view  to  appropriateness  for  a 
school  of  this  character.  Many  volumes  have  been  selected  as  acces- 
sory aids  to  the  subjects  taught  while  many  others  have  been  selected 
for  their  knowledge,  literary  and  culture  value.  Some  of  the  general 
reference  works  are  kept  in  the  study  hall  that  they  may  be  the  more 
conveniently  accessible.  In  order  that  the  reading  habit  may  be  cul- 
tivated and  applied  to  good  literature,  specified  assignments  are  re- 
quired with  various  subjects.  The  laboratory  has  a  creditable  equip- 
ment for  illustrative  teaching  of  Physics  and  Chemistry.  It  is  provided 
with  a  large  slate  top  desk  supplied  with  water  and  natural  gas.  In 
connection  with  the  illustrative  and  experimental  teaching  it  is  worthy 
of  mention  that  the  school  possesses  a  very  good  set  of  specimens  to  be 
used  in  connection  with  Geology,  Zoology  and  Physical  Geography.  The 
music  room  is  so  fitted  out  as  to  present  an  attractive  appearance.  The 
school  is  supplied  with  three  pianos  and  an  organ.  The  gymnasium 
rooms  are  of  the  same  size  as  the  recitation  rooms  above  them.  They 
are  approached  by  separate  entrances;  one  is  used  by  the  young  ladies 
and  the  other  by  the  young  men.  Each  is  equipped  with  dumb  bells, 
Indian  clubs,  chestweights,  and  some  other  general  apparatus. 

The  school  was  first  opened  to  students  January  14,  1873,  by  T.  M. 
Marshall,  who  served  as  Acting  Principal  until  April,  1873.  From  this 
time  the  office  of  principal  has  been  filled  by  those  whose  names  are 
given  below  with  the  period  of  service  indicated: 

Louis    Bennett    , 1873—1875 

T.    M.    Marshall 1875—1881 

S.    P.    Lazear    1881—1882 

R.    F.    Kidd    1882 — 1884 

E.    J.    Hall 1884 — 1885 

S.    B.    Brown     1885—1890 

R.    W.    Trapp     1890—1891 

Miss  Verona  Maple,   acting  principal    1891— Feb.    1892 

M.    D.    Helmick    Feb.    1892—1895 

W.    J.    Holden    .  , : 1895—1901 

John    C.    Shaw    1901— 

The  Executive  Committee  of  the  school  since  the  organization  has 
been  made  up  as  follows: 


WEST  VIRGINIA.  79 

Milton    Norris    , 1873 — 1894 

Nelson    M.    Bennett    1873—1894 

S.    L.    Ruddell     , 1873 — 1886 

R.    F.    Kidd    1886—1895 

R.    G.    Linn    1894—1895 

W.    M.    Arnold    1894—1895 

J.    N.    Shackleford     1895 — 1903 

W.    D.    Whiting    1895 — 1903 

R.    L.    Ruddell    1895—1897 

M.    B.    Morris 1895—1897 

H.    R.    Brannon    1900 — 1903 

R.    F.    Kidd    , 1903—1905 

D.    U.    O'Brien    1903 — 1906 

J.    J.    Hendrick     1903—1904 

R.    F.    Kidd    . 1906— 

M.    B.    Morris    1906— 

J.    E.    Ewing 1906 — 

PRESENT   FACULTY. 

John  C.  Shaw,  Principal  (University  of  Nashville,  Clark  University)  — 
Professional  Subjects,  Geometry. 

E.  C.  Rohrbough,  First  Assistant  (Allegheny  College,  Harvard)  — 
Foreign  Languages. 

Phrania  Zink  (West  Liberty  Normal,  Peabody  Normal  College)  — 
History,  Algebra,  Botany. 

Ada  R.  Colbert  (West  Virginia  University)— French,  Latin,  Algebra. 

Mary  M.  Woods  (Union  Female  College,  Alabama;  Packer  Institute, 
Brooklyn) — Natural  Science,  English. 

Harriet  T.  Stalnaker  (West  Virginia  University)— Mathematics, 
English. 

Mildred  Ruddell   (Mary  Baldwin  Seminary) — Music. 
E.  Fuller  Shearer  (Morris  Harvey  College,  Private  Instruction)— Elo- 
cution, Physical  Culture. 


Shepherd  College  State  Normal  School 

BY  PRINCIPAL  J.  Q.   KNUTTT. 
ORGANIZATION  AND  EARLY   HISTORY. 

Shepherd  College  dates  its  founding  as  a  State  Normal  School  to  an 
act  of  the  Legislature  of  West  Virginia,  passed  Febraury  27,  1872;  but  it 
had  its  beginning  in  a  classical  and  scientific  school,  styled  "Shepherd 
College,"  the  certificate  of  incorporation  of  which  was  placed  on  record  at 
Charles  Town,  January  12,  1872.  The  incorporators  of  this  school,  all  of 
whom  were  representative  citizens  of  Shepherdstown,  named  in  the  order 
of  their  signatures,  were  C.  W.  Andrews,  A.  R.  Boteler,  C.  T.  Butler,  G.  M. 
Beltzhoover,  David  Billmyer,  Samuel  Knott  and  Henry  Shepherd. 


80  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 

At  their  first  meeting,  January  13,  1872,  Dr.  C.  W.  Andrews,  rector  of 
Christ  Episcopal  Church  of  Shepherdstown,  was  elected  president;  and 
George  M.  Beltzhoover,  at  that  time  a  rising  young  attorney,  was  made 
secretary  and  treasurer,  —  a  position  which  he  has  filled  ever  since  to 
the  eminent  satisfaction  of  the  school  and  the  State.  After  some  nego- 
tiation, the  incorporators,  who  now  styled  themselves  a  "board,"  secured 
from  Mr.  Shepherd  Brooks,  of  Boston,  a  perpetual  lease  on  what  is  now 
known  as  the  "old  building,"  which  had  been  erected  for  a  court  house 
while  Shepherdstown  was  temporarily  the  county  seat  of  Jefferson  county, 
and  in  this  was  housed  the  new  institution  about-to-be.  At  the  head  of  the 
school  was  placed  Joseph  McMurran,  A.  M.,  who  had  already  attracted 
notice  as  a  teacher  of  private  schools  in  the  community,  with  Rev.  J.  T. 
Rossiter,  A.  M.,  and  Alexander  Tinsley,  M.  D.,  as  nominal  assistants.  The 
Legislature  was  soon  afterward  prevailed  upon  to  locate  one  of  the  State's 
Normal  Schools  here;  and  as  a  consequence  "Shepherd  College"  passed 
under  State  control,  with  the  cognomen  "State  Normal  School"  added 
to  its  original  name.  Mr.  McMurran  was  continued  as  principal  of  the 
school  and  was  given  as  his  assistants  Messrs.  D.  D.  Pendleton,  S.  S. 
Smeltzer  and  Mrs.  Lilly  P.  Lee.  The  school  thrived  under  this  manage- 
ment in  spite  of  the  fact  that  unenlightened  legislatures  failed  to  provide 
adequately  for  its  support.  Principal  McMurran  has  been  held  in  kindly 
remembrance  by  all  the  friends  of  this  school  for  his  unflinching  fidelity 
to  it  during  these  troublous  times.  For  his  self-sacrificing  interest  in  its 
upbuilding,  he  is  often  affectionately  referred  to  by  his  "old  students"  as 
the  "Father  of  Shepherd  College."  The  school's  attendance  during  the 
nine  years  of  his  administration  was  very  irregular,  due  no  doubt  to  its 
uncertain  financial  support;  but  on  the  whole  a  good  foundation  was  laid, 
and  Mr.  McMurran's  influence  has  been  no  uncertain  factor  in  its  subse- 
quent development. 

From  1882-85,  D.  D.  Pendleton,  A.  M.,  was  principal.  With  Miss  Mary 
E.  Allen  as  his  only  assistant,  the  school  managed  to  live  through  this 
period  of  depression. 

Mr.  T.  J.  Woofter  was  at  the  helm  from  1885-87.  Messrs.  W.  A. 
Eckles,  Asa  B.  Bush  and  Miss  Laura  C.  Strider  were  his  assistants,  though 
he  never  had  more  than  two  at  any  one  time.  No  material  change  in  the 
general  tenor  of  the  school  occurred  during  this  administration,  though 
good  work  was  being  done  by  the  few  students  who  were  in  attendance. 

Then  for  four  years  — 1887-91,  Asa  B.  Bush,  A.  M.,  was  at  the  head 
of  the  school.  His  assistants  at  various  times  were  Charles  J.  Miller,  and 
Misses  Ella  Fordyce,  Alice  P.  Pendleton  and  Mary  M.  Myers.  During  these 
years  the  attendance  increased  materially  and  the  school's  prospects  grew 
brighter. 

For  one  year  — 1891-92,  E.  Mode  Vale,  A.  M.,  was  principal.  As  assist- 
ants he  had  Charles  J.  Miller  and  Misses  Pearl  C.  Hosie  and  Ella  Fordyce. 

A.  C.  Kimler,  A.  B.,  served  as  principal  from  1892  to  1901.  At  various 
times  he  had  as  assistants:  Messrs.  Charles  J.  Miller,  L.  D.  Arnette,  A.  W. 
Porterfleld  and  A.  C.  Hines;  and  Misses  Ella  Fordyce,  Pearl  C.  Hosie, 
Harriett  D.  Johnson,  Mary  E.  McConn,  Agnes  Beltzhoover  and  Urna  V. 
Cummings;  and  Mrs.  M.  E.  Butler.  The  school  had  an  era  of  increasing 


NEW  BUILDING,  MARSHALL  COLLEGE. 


•fcfe^-.^'&^.'.JS 

FAIRMONT  NORMAL  SCHOOL  AND  WOMAN'S  HALL  ADJOINING. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  81 

prosperity  during  these  years.  A  better  equipment  and  an  increasing 
number  of  teachers  achieved  larger  results. 

From  1901  to  1903,  E.  P.  Goodwin,  A.  B.,  LL.  B.,  was  at  the  head  of 
the  faculty.  His  assistants  were  Messrs.  J.  D.  Muldoon,  J.  B.  Triplett, 
Irvin  C.  Stover  and  J.  G.  Knutti;  and  Misses  Mary  McConn,  Elizabeth  M. 
Stalnaker,  Anna  B.  Woolery,  Mary  W.  Syme  and  A.  Salome  Wingate.  A 
considerable  increase  in  the  attendance  marked  this  administration. 

In  1903,  J.  G.  Knutti,  A.  B.,  A.  M.,  was  made  principal.  As  assistants 
he  has  had  Messrs.  J.  D.  Muldoon  and  J.  B.  Triplett;  and  Misses  Anna  B. 
Woolery,  Elizabeth  M.  Stalnaker,  Blanche  Corbin,  Louise  C.  Pendleton, 
Ada  R.  Colbert,  Myrll  Williams  and  Harriett  Jean  Trappe;  and  Mrs. 
Mabel  Henshaw-Gardiner.  During  these  years  the  school  has  steadily 
grown,  both  in  numbers  and  in  the  general  scope  of  the  work,  an  increased 
and  greatly  improved  teaching  force  and  a  splendid  new  building  and 
other  equipment  having  made  progress  inevitable.  The  enrollment  for 
the  present  year  promises  to  reach  the  two  hundred  mark,  and  careful 
and  consistent  work  is  being  done  in  all  departments. 

LOCATION,    BUILDINGS    AND    EQUIPMENT. 

The  Shepherd  College  buildings  are  situated  on  a  fine  plat  of  ground 
near  the  center  of  the  town  of  Shepherdstown.  The  campus,  though  not 
large,  has  many  pretty  shade  trees  on  it,  which,  together  with  the  fine 
carpet  of  grass  that  covers  the  ground  during  nine  months  of  the  year, 
made  to  give  way  in  places  to  beds  of  flowers,  and  with  a  leaping,  dashing 
run  skirting  one  edge, — make  it  one  of  the  most  attractive  spots  to  be 
found  anywhere.  Less  than  two  hundred  yards  distant,  to  the  north,  is 
the  historic  old  Potomac,  winding  in  graceful  curves  among  the  lowly 
hills  which  seem  to  have  planted  themselves  directly  in  its  path,  but 
whose  verdure  and  soil  (their  clothing  and  flesh)  were  gradually  stripped 
from  them,  leaving  their  ribs  and  backbones  skirting  the  river's  edge  as 
evidence  of  the  unequal  contest  for  the  "right  of  way"  across  the  Shenan- 
doah  Valley  at  this  point.  It  was  over  one  of  these  cliffy  ledges,  only  a 
mile  below  Shepherdstown,  that  Lee's  grim  rear  guard  swept  one  of 
McClellan's  finest  regiments  and  hurled  it  to  destruction  in  the  stream 
below.  Only  three  miles  to  the  north  is  the  fine  national  cemetery  of 
Antietam,  with  the  monument-studded  battlefield,  where  twenty-five  thou- 
sand men  were  killed  and  wounded  in  that  awful  death-struggle  on  Sep- 
tember 17,  1862.  To  the  south  of  Shepherdstown  spread  out  the  boundless 
reaches  of  the  magnificent  Shenandoah  Valley,  skirted  on  east  and  west, 
respectively,  by  the  Blue  Ridge  and  the  North  Mountain.  A  more  pic- 
turesque and  historic  spot  for  the  location  of  one  of  West  Virginia's 
Normal  Schools  could  not  have  been  found  elsewhere  within  her  bounds. 

The  school  is  housed  at  present  in  three  buildings,  of  which  the  "Old 
Building,"  as  it  is  now  called,  is  the  oldest.  It  is  the  one  referred  to 
previously  as  having  been  transferred  by  perpetual  lease  to  the  trustees 
of  Shepherd  College  by  Shepherd  Brooks,  Esq.,  of  Boston.  It  contains  six 
commodious  rooms,  four  of  which  are  devoted  to  music  purposes,  the  other 
two  constituting  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.  and  Y.  M.  C.  A.  halls.  "Shepherd  College 
Hall"  adjoins  this  building  on  the  north  and  constitutes  an  assembly  and 


82  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

drill  hall.  The  "New  Building"  is  situated  about  forty  yards  to  the  north, 
•With  its  main  entrance  facing  west.  In  it  are  a  fine  auditorium  and 
gymnasium,  two  literary  society  halls,  the  schpol  library,  Principal's  and 
general  offices,  and  eight  recitation  rooms;  besides  toilet  and  bath  rooms, 
etc.  In  point  of  beauty  and  general  architectural  design,  it  is  not  excelled 
by  any  school  building  within  the  State.  It  will  long  stand  as  a  monument 
to  the  architect  who  designed  it  and  the  Board  of  Regents  who  had  it 
reared,  and  is  a  credit  to  the  State  of  West  Virginia. 

With  the  above-described  facilities;  with  a  Board  of  school  men  to 
look  after  its  interests;  with  a  liberal  State  to  provide  for  its  future 
necessities;  with  a  faculty  and  student  body  working  together  for  results, 
Shepherd  College  State  Normal  School  may  be  depended  upon  to  make  no 
uncertain  return  to  the  State  of  West  Virginia  for  her  share  of  the  finan- 
cial budget  devoted  to  the  education  of  her  youth. 


The  Concord  Normal  School 

BY   FRANCES    ISABEL    DAVENPORT,    PRINCIPAL. 

The  Concord  State  Normal  School,  located  at  Athens,  West  Virginia, 
was  established  by  an  act  of  Legislature  passed  February  22,  18721.  The 
corner  stone  was  laid  on  the  22d  of  February,  1874,  with  Masonic  honors. 

The  first  session  of  the  school  opened  May  10,  1875,  with  Captain 
James  H.  French  as  principal  and  Major  William  M.  Reynolds  as  assistant. 
rt  continued  for  twenty  weeks  and  had  an  enrollment  of  seventy  students. 
The  growth  and  success  of  the  school  were  so  great  that  the  building  soon 
became  inadequate,  and  the  Legislature  made  an  appropriation  for  a  new 
building.  In  three  years  this  was  followed  by  another  appropriation  to 
enlarge  the  new  building.  The  school  continued  in  this  building  until 
February  of  1889.  In  1897  the  Legislature  appropriated  $20,000  for  build- 
ing an  addition.  In  point  of  arrangement  the  present  structure  is  one  of 
the  best  school  buildings  in  the  State.  A  large  dormitory  for  the  young 
women  students  has  been  added. 

The  first  principal  of  the  school  was  Captain  James  Harvey  French. 
He  was  born  in  Giles  County,  Virginia,  October  20,  1818.  He  received 
his  education  at  Georgetown,  D.  C.,  and  at  the  University  of  Virginia. 
On  May  10,  he  became  principal  and  held  the  position  until  his  death, 
December  11,  1891.  His  body  rests  on  the  campus  north  of  the  school 
building,  where  a  beautiful  and  simple  granite  shaft  has  been  erected 
to  his  memory  by  the  members  of  the  alumni  association. 

Major  William  M.  Reynolds,  the  first  assistant  teacher,  rendered  con- 
spicuous services  to  the  school  during  the  two  terms  he  served  in  the 
State  Legislature. 

On  the  death  of  Mr.  French,  Mr.  John  D.  Sweeney,  of  Tyler  County, 
West  Virginia,  was  elected  principal.  Mr.  Sweeney  was  graduated  from 
the  West  Virginia  University  in  1885,  and  served  six  years  in  the  school 
as  assitant  teacher  before  he  became  principal.  Mr.  Sweeney  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Mr.  George  M.  Ford,  also  a  graduate  of  the  \Vv>st  Virginia 


WEST  VIRGINIA  83 

University  in  1897.  Mr.  Ford  served  until  1900,  when  he  resigned,  and 
Mr.  Elmer  F.  Goodwin  was  appointed  to  the  position.  At  the  end  of  Mr. 
Goodwin's  first  year  at  Concord,  he  was  transferred  to  the  principalship 
of  the  Shepherd  College  State  Normal,  and  Mr.  Arthur  S.  Thorn,  a  gradu- 
ate of  Emory  and  Henry  College,  became  principal.  Mr.  Thorn  served  for 
five  years,  from  1901  to  1906.  In  June,  1906,  Miss  Frances  Isabel  Daven- 
port, the  head  of  the  training  department  of  the  Fairmont  Normal  School, 
was  appointed  principal. 

Since  the  opening  of  the  school  in  1875,  in  a  little  wooden  school- 
house,  and  with  about  nineteen  students,  the  record  of  the  school  has 
been  one  of  steady  growth  in  numbers  and  efficiency.  It  now  possesses  one 
of  the  most  attractive  school  buildings  in  the  State,  an  excellent  library, 
a  first-class  model  department  and  the  second  largest  enrollment  of  the 
Normal  Schools  of  the  State. 


84 


HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 


Courses  of  Study  in  the  Normal  Schools, 


NORMAL 

CLASSIC 

FIRST  YEAR. 

5 
2 

Oriental  and  Greek  History 
English 
Latin 
Physiography 

Oriental   and  Greek  History 
English 
Latin 
Physiography 

JIHJA'IAV 

Algebra 
English 
Latin 
Phys.   and    Industrial   Geog. 

Algebra 
English 
Latin 
Phys.   and   Industrial   Geog. 

SPRING 

Algebra 
English 
Latin 
Roman    History 

Algebra 
English 
Latin 
Roman    History 

SECOND  YEAR.  | 

$ 
<J 
fe 

Algebra 
Rhetoric  and   Literature 
Latin 
Mediaeval  and  Modern  Hist. 

Algebra 
Rhetoric  and   Literature 
Latin   or   Greek 
Mediaeval  and  Modern  Hist. 

WINTER 

Algebra 
Rhetoric  and  Literature 
Latin 
English   History 

Algebra 
Rhetoric  and   Literature 
Latin  or  Greek 
English  History 

SPRING 

Algebra 
Rhetoric   and   Literature 
Latin 
Botany   or   Zoology 

Algebra 
Rhetoric  and   Literature 
Latin   or   Greek 
Botany   or   Zoology 

JUNIOR  YEAR. 

j 
J 
•^ 

fe 

Geometry 
English    (Literature) 
History   of   Education 
Civics    and    U.    S.    History 

Geometry 
English    (Literature) 
French,   German,         )  Any 
Latin   or  Greek           )  two 

WINTER 

Geometry 
English    (Literature) 
Economics                                              , 
Commercial    Geog. 

Geometry 
English    (Literature) 
French,   German,         I  Any 
Latin   or  Greek           )  two 

SPRING  | 

Geometry 
English    (Literature) 
Geojogy    or    Astronomy 
General   Methods 
School    Sanitation 

Geometry,    Geology    or   Astronomy 
English    (Literature) 
French,   German,         )  Any 
Latin  or  Greek           )  two 

SENIOR  YEAR. 

3 

Chemistry 
Physics 
Biblical     History,      Pedagogy,      Psychol- 

School       Supervision       and        Training 
Work 

Physics   or  Chemistry 
Psychology 
French,   German,         )  Any 
Latin   or  Greek           Jtwo 

WINTER 

Chemistry 
Physics 
Pedagogy,   Psychology 
Sociology    and    Training    Work 

Physics   or  Chemistry 
Sociology    or    Psychology 
French,   German,         )  Any 
Latin   or  Greek           J  two 

SPRING 

Chemistry   or   Trigonometry 
Physics    or    Agriculture 
Ethics,    Child    Study,    Educational    Psy- 
chology 
Methods  and  Training  Work 

Physics   or   Chemistry 
Ethics 
French.   German,         }  Any 
Latin   or  Greek           )  two 

WEST  VIRGINIA 
Courses  Of  Study — Continued. 


85 


FIRST  YEAR.  |  II 

ij 
j 

MODERN    LANGUAGE 

CIENCE 

Oriental  and  Greek  History 
English 
Latin   or   German 
Physiography 

Oriental  and  Greek  History 
English 
l^atin    or    German 
Physiography 

WINTER 

Algebra 
English 
Latin    or   German 
Industrial  Geography 

Algebra 
English 
Latin    or   German 
Industrial    Geography 

SPRING 

Algebra 
English 
Latin    or    German 
Roman    History 

Algebra 
English 
Latin    or   German 
Roman    History 

|  SECOND  YEAR. 

t3 

J 

Algebra 
Rhetoric  and   Literature 
Latin.   German  or  French 
Mediaeval  and  Modern  Hist. 

Algebra 
Rhetoric  and   Literature 
Latin,   German  or  French 
Mediaeval  and  Modern  Hist. 

WINTER 

Algebra 
Rhetoric  and  Literature 
Ijatin.   German  or  French 
English   History 

Algebra 
Rhetoric  and   Literature 
Latin,   German  or  French 
English   History 

SPRING 

Algebra 
Rhetoric  and   Literature 
I^atin.   German  or  French 
Botany   or   Zoology 

Algebra 
Rhetoric  and   Literature 
Latin,   German   or   French 
Botany   or   Zoology 

JUNIOR  YEAR. 

jj 

Geometry 
English    (Literature) 
German    or   French 
Civics    and    U.    S.    History 

Geometry 
English    (Literature) 
German    or   French 
Civics    and    U.    S.    History 

WINTER 

Geometry 
English    (Literature) 
Economics 
German   or    French 

Geometry 
English    (Literature) 
Economics 
German   or    French 

<Jeometry 
5  ,  English    (Literature) 
r    Ecology    or    Astronomy 
co    German    or    French 

Geometry 
English    (Literature) 
Geology    or    Astronomy 
German    or    French 

SENIOR  YEAR. 

j 

>j 

Chemistry   or   Physics 
Psychology 
French 
German 

Chemistry 
Plane   Trigonometrv 
Physics 
French   or  German 

I  WINTKR 

Chemistry   or   Physics 
Sociology 
French 
German 

Chemistry 
Physics 
Sociology  or  Spherical  Trig. 
French   or    German 

SPRING 

Chemistry  or   Physics 
Ethics 
French 
German 

*-. 
Chemistry   or  Agriculture 
Ethics   or  Analytical   Geom. 
Physics 
French    or    German 

86  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

ENROLLMENT  AND   GRADUATES  BY  SCHOOLS. 

The  following  tables  give  the  enrollment  and  the  number  of  graduates 
at  each  of  the  Normal  Schools  since  they  were  established.  This  is  an  in- 
teresting and  a  valuable  record  and  will  doubtless  be  preserved  by  all 
who  are  watching  our  educational  progress. 

MARSHALL    COLLEGE. 

Year.                 No.  Enrolled.  Graduates. 

1869-70  4 

1871 9 

1872  195    11 

1873  . .. 161    

1874  70 9 

1875  14 

1876  97    15 

1877  73    14 

1878  137    8 

1879  145 10 

1880  15 

1881  123    

1882  107    4 

1883  109    4 

1884  98 8 

1885  153    8 

1886 180    15 

1887  147    6 

1888  :..  163    12 

1889  172    9 

1890  165    6 

1891  163    7 

1892 183    8 

1893  137    10 

1894  152    5 

1895 222    7 

1896  2-22    17 

1897  258    19 

1898  278    12 

1899  456    11 

1900 452    20 

1901  533    24 

1902  637    32 

1903  787    12 

1904  606 40 

1905  790    22 

1906  ,  978  43 


Total 9,149  470 

FAIRMONT. 

Year.  No.  Enrolled.  Graduates. 

1869-70   70  

1871  60  

1872  85  4 

1873  108  25 

1874  100  19 

1875  152  33 

1876  105  20 


WEST  VIRGINIA  87 

1877  139    23 

1878  221    14 

1879  190    25 

1880  149    13 

1881  182    18 

1882 218    9 

1883  205    12- 

1884  200    8 

1885  207    7 

1886  230    10 

1887  258    8 

1888 268    14 

1880 297 15 

1890  232    24 

1891  257    12 

1892  260    27 

1893  282    21 

1894 329    15 

1895  .  362    13 

1896  383 13 

1897  380    22 

1898  ;.  354    16 

1899 385    17 

1900  427    29 

1901  :.  459    9 

1902  >  358    12 

1903  428    14 

1904  415    10 

1905  '  425    10 

1906  430  9 


Total 9,610  550 

WEST   LIBERTY. 

Year.  No.  Enrolled.  Graduates. 

1871  97  

1872  103  «...  10 

1873  110  20 

1874  54  8 

1875  43  7 

1876  35 5 

1877  56  4 

1878 63  6 

1879  70  21 

1880  ,.  45  10 

1881  ,.  43  12 

1882  43 1 

1883  ,.  54  .*. 2 

1884  52  8 

1885. 48  4 

1886  56  4 

1887  75  4 

1888  102  5 

1889  126  12 

1890  ,.  112  8 

1891  ,.  133  9 

1892  ,.  150  11 

1893 138  11 

1894  142  10 

1895  .  160  19 


HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 


11 

14 

10 

8 

11 
5 
9 
5 
2 
6 
9 

301 


Graduates. 

4 

10 
3 

1 
5 
1 

2 
2 

2 

5 

7 
5 
4 
7 
9 
7 

15 
14 
12 
18 
10 
11 
10 
9 
3 
3 

11 
2 
5 
5 
5 
8 
8 

Total 3,576          223 

SIIKI'IIKIil)    COLLEGE. 

Year.  No.  Enrolled.  Graduates. 

1874     145         21 

1875    160 

1876  ,  136  27 


1896  

163    

1897 

185              

1898 

162     

1899  

168    

1900 

186 

1901 

163    

1902  

187    

1903 

172 

1904 

175    

1905  

196    

1906 

207 

Total 

4  074 

Year. 
1873 

GLENVILLE. 

No.  Enrolled.               Gr 
120     

1874 

100 

1875     

105    

187C 

71            

1877 

69    

1878 

72 

1879 

54      

1880 

46    

1881 

23    

1882  

65    

1883 

70     

1884 

114    

1885 

108 

1886 

100          

1887 

89     

1888 

123    

1889 

114     .  .    

1890 

96    

1891 

103               

1892 

107       

1893 

132    

1894   

111    

1895 

95       .  .    

1896           ' 

107    

1897 

138                  .  . 

1898 

148                 

1899 

140    

1900  

132    

1901 

155           

1902 

136    

1903 

123               

1904 

121       

1905  ... 

123    

1906  

166    ' 

WEST  VIRGINIA  89 

1877  102  8 

1878  94  11 

1879 93  18 

1880  55  14 

1881  71  5 

1882  58  9 

1883 62  1 

1884  59  10 

1885  65  12 

1886  65  3 

1887  69  6 

1888  64  3 

1889  71  4 

1890  69  8 

1891  87  10 

1892  90  7 

1893  99  12 

1894  91  8 

1895  103  7 

1890  103  12 

1897  100  9 

1898  88  5 

1899  105  10 

1900  116  15 

1901 127  7 

1902 151  10 

1903  143  7 

1904  153  11 

1905  175 10 

1906  .  158  6 


Total 3,327  329 

CONCOED. 

Year.  No.  Enrolled.  Graduates. 

1876  70  

1877  75  

1878  86 2 

1879  100 8 

1880  65  6 

1881  94  17 

1882  90  11 

1883  110 2 

1884  137 9 

1885  105  9 

1886  96  3 

1887 124  7 

1888  170  4 

1889  166  5 

1890  166  7 

1891  181  7 

1892 217  7 

1893  214  12 

1894  190  6 

1895  192  9 

189C  199 12 

1897  227  15 

1898  236  7 

1899  .  189  5 


90                  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

1900  238    ....> 16 

1901  203    4 

1902  v 215    10 

1903  230    7 

1904  224    8 

1905  215    9 

1906  301  6 


Total 5,125  230 

TOTAL  ENROLLMENT  AND  NUMBER  OF  GRADUATES  IN  ALL  THE 
NORMAL  SCHOOLS  UP  TO  CLOSE  OF  THE  LAST  SCHOOL 

YEAR,  JUNE  30,  1906. 

Year.  No.  Enrolled.               Graduates. 

1869-70  70  4 

1871  157  9 

1872  383  25 

1873 499  45 

1874  469  61 

1875  460  92 

1876  514  70 

1877  514  50 

1878  673  46 

1879  652  83 

1880 360  60 

1881  536 54 

1882  581  36 

1883  610  26 

1884  660  50 

1885  686  45 

1886  727  39 

1887  762  38 

1888  890  47 

1889  946  . . 52 

1890  840  63 

1891  924  59 

1892  1007  ....'..-, 72 

1893  1002  84 

1894  1015  54 

1895  1134 66 

1896  1177  75 

1897 1288  88 

1898  1266  63 

1899 1443  54 

1900  1551  102 

1901  1640  51 

1902  1684 78 

1903  1883  50 

1904  1694  76 

1905  1924  65 

1906  2240  81 


Total 34,861    2103 


WEST  VIRGINIA  91 

West  Virginia  School  for  the  Deaf  and  the  Blind 

At  the  close  of  the  legislative  session  of  1870  a  bill  was  passed 
creating  a  school  for  the  deaf  and  the  blind.  The  original  draft  of  this 
bill  provided  only  for  a  school  for  the  blind.  The  incorporation  of  the 
deaf  with  the  blind  was  a  legislative  accident  which  resulted  from  an 
amendment  to  insert  the  words  "deaf  and  dumb  and"  before  blind 
wherever  it  occurred  in  the  bill.  In  the  absence  of  technical  advice,  the 
friends  of  the  measure  acceded  to  the  amendment,  and  the  school  became 
a  dual  institution,  which,  it  has  been  the  long  deferred  hope  of  its  best 
friends  to  see  corrected  by  enlightened  legislation.  The  Board  was  organ- 
ized in  the  city  of  Wheeling,  and  had  accepted  a  donation  of  buildings 
adequate  for  the  early  needs  of  the  school,  and  was  proceeding  to  refit 
them  for  that  end  when  an  injunction  issued  from  the  Circuit  Court  of 
Ohio  County  restraining  the  gift,  and  the  Board  of  Regents  did  not  resist 
the  proceedings.  A  month  or  two  later  the  generous  gift  of  the  citizens 
and  Literary  Society  of  Romney  was  accepted,  and  the  school  was  organ- 
ized at  that  town  in  July,  1870,  by  the  election  of  H.  H.  Hollister  as 
principal,  H.  H.  Johnson  as  first  teacher  in  the  blind  department,  and 
Miss  Harris  as  first  teacher  in  the  deaf  department.  Mr.  Holdridge 
Chidester  was  also  made  teacher  in  the  same  department,  and  the  school 
was  opened  at  the  end  of  the  following  September  in  buildings  quite  ade- 
quate for  the  first  year's  attendance,  a  part  of  the  donation  which  secured 
the  location  of  the  school.  In  the  early  part  of  this  first  term  of  the  school 
Mr.  Henry  White  was  appointed  watchman.  He  and  Mr.  Johnson  hold 
the  honorable  distinction  of  having  been  connected  with  the  institution 
continuously  to  the  present  time.  At  the  next  session  of  the  Legislature 
appropriations  were  made  for  the  increase  of  the  accommodations  of  the 
school,  and  like  generous  treatment  has  been  accorded  as  the  necessities 
demanded  until  we  have  a  large  and  commodious  institution,  now  crowded 
to  about  its  utmost  capacity,  and  clearly  pointing  the  way  to  legislative 
relief.  Mr.  Hollister  continued  to  administer  the  affairs  of  the  school 
until  October,  1873,  when  he  resigned  to  enter  upon  a  professional 
career. 

Dr.  S.  R.  Lupton,  the  faithful  physician  to  the  school,  was  invited  to 
assume  charge  as  Principal  pro  tempore,  and  served  for  a  few  months 
very  acceptably.  In  the  meantime  the  Board  appointed  Rev.  L.  Eddy  as 
principal.  The  latter  had  been  a  teacher  of  the  deaf,  as  had  also  Mr. 
Hollister.  It  was  the  most  natural  thing  in  the  world  that  their  predilec- 
tions should  have  been  for  the  deaf  side  of  the  school.  In  consequence 
that  side  of  the  school  greatly  predominated  in  numbers,  and  has  con- 
tinued to  do  so,  and  there  seems  to  be  no  remedy  except  in  the  correction 
of  the  legislative  mistake  of  1870.  Mr.  Eddy  took  charge  in  the  early 
days  of  1874  and  remained  at  the  head  of  the  school  till  June  of  that 
year,  when  a  change  in  the  political  complexion  of  the  management  led 
to  his  retirement  and  the  appointment  of  Major  John  C.  Covell,  who  had 
been  for  years  connected  with  the  Virginia  Institution  for  the  Deaf  and 
Dumb  and  the  Blind  as  teacher,  assistant  principal  and  principal.  He 
was  a  broad,  cultured  and  scholarly  gentleman  who  fully  appreciated  the 


92  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

whole  range  of  his  responsibilities  and  impressed  upon  the  institution  all 
those  permanent  features  of  efficiency  that  it  has  been  the  pride  of  subse- 
quent administrations  to  maintain  and  extend.  He  died  in  1887,  and 
the  Board  of  Regents,  with  becoming  timidity,  hesitated  to  make  immedi- 
ate choice  of  a  successor,  and  requested  their  secretary,  Mr.  Henry  B. 
Gilkeson,  to  assume  charge  until  they  could  be  safely  advised  as  to 
whom  to  choose.  After  a  few  weeks  the  Board  convened  again  and  decided 
to  impress  Mr.  Gilkeson  into  the  permanent  service  of  the  school.  He 
conducted  the  affairs  of  the  school  so  comfortably  for  a  year  that  the 
hope  was  entertained  that  it  might  be  his  pleasure  to  make  it  his  life 
work;  but  the  fascination  of  his  professional  life  and  the  demands  of  an 
extensive  practice  at  the  bar  were  too  strong  to  be  resisted  and  he  re- 
quested the  Board  in  due  time  to  look  out  for  a  suitable  principal.  They 
accordingly  invited  Mr.  C.  H.  Hill,  another  teacher  of  the  deaf,  to  assume 
charge  of  this  dual  school.  He  did  so  in  the  summer  of  1888,  and  con- 
tinued to  direct  the  affairs  of  the  institution  until  June,  1897,  when  in 
consequence  of  certain  differences  that  could  not  be  compromised  he 
resigned,  and  the  Board  selected  as  his  successor  Mr.  James  T.  Rucker, 
of  Lewisburg,  W.  Va.  Mr.  Rucker  enjoyed  the  advantage  over  all  his 
predecessors  of  being  an  all-round  business  man  and  an  accomplished 
teacher  of  seeing  and  hearing  children,  having  been  Superintendent  of  the 
Schools  of  his  native  town  for  years.  He  has  greatly  extended  the  plans 
of  Major  Covell  and  has  brought  the  institution  with  leaps  and  bounds 
to  a  degree  of  efficiency  which  challenges  comparison  with  any  in  the 
land.  If  his  present  recommendations  are  approved  by  the  Legislature, 
the  school  will  have  little  more  to  ask  beyond  its  mere  maintenance  for 
perhaps  a  score  of  years  to  come. 

The  location  of  the  institution,  at  Romney,  the  county  seat  of  Hamp- 
shire, is  an  admirable  one.  The  climate  is  perhaps  as  salubrious  as  can 
be  found  in  the  State.  The  summers  are  usually  cool  and  the  winters 
rarely  severe.  Then  another  most  excellent  feature  is  the  abundance  of 
good  water.  The  institution  owns  its  own  water  plant;  the  water  for 
drinking,  bathing  and  cooking  purposes  being  piped  from  a  mountain 
spring  some  two  miles  distant.  The  grounds  are  large,  affording  the  boys 
?n  opportunity  to  engage  in  all  kinds  of  athletics  and  the  girls  a  chance 
for  friendly  contests  in  basket  ball  and  tennis. 

The  purpose  of  the  school  is  entirely  educational  and  embraces  none 
of  the  features  of  an  asylum.  The  course  is  forty  weeks,  with  twelve 
weeks'  vacation,  spent  at  home.  A  ten  years'  course  is,  in  most  cases, 
necessary  for  fitting  and  preparing  pupils  for  the  difficulties  and  problems 
which  the  future  holds  in  store  for  them.  In  connection  with  the  educa- 
tional feature  a  practical  course  is  given  in  carpentering,  tailoring, 
baking,  shoemaking  and  printing  for  the  deaf  boys  and  in  mattress, 
broom  and  chair  making  for  the  blind.  The  girls  are  given  a  thorough 
and  practical  course  in  sewing  and  housekeeping,  and  it  is  hoped  that  a 
cooking  school  may  soon  be  installed.  Then,  too,  the  institution  owns  a 
farm  of  100  acres  only  half  a  mile  from  the  school,  where  the  boys  are 
given  an  opportunity  to  develop  whatever  tendencies  they  may  have 
in  aii  agricultural  direction.  The  literary  course  is  practically  the  same 


WEST  VIRGINIA  93 

as  that  adopted  by  the  public  schools.  In  the  blind  department,  however, 
a  course  is  given  in  Latin,  German  and  English  literature  and  geometry. 
Quite  a  good  deal  of  attention  is  paid  to  music,  and  any  blind  pupil  who 
has  any  inclination  or  talent  is  given  ample  opportunity  to  develop  it. 


The  West  Virginia  Reform  School 

BY    D.    S.    HAMMOND,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

The  West  Virginia  Reform  School  was  established  by  an  Act  of  the 
Legislature,  passed  February  11,  1889.  Section  12  of  said  act  provided 
for  a  commission  to  be  appointed  by  the  Governor  consisting  of  the  State 
Superintendent  of  Free  Schools  and  one  member  from  each  Congressional 
District  of  the  State,  who  should  within  four  months  after  the  act  went 
into  effect  select  such  location  as  it  deemed  best  as  the  site  for  the  West 
Virginia  Reform  School. 

These  commissioners  after  examining  different  localities  and  con- 
sidering a  number  of  propositions  during  the  summer  of  1889,  finally 
accepted  the  offer  of  the  citizens  of  Taylor  County,  and  located  the  West 
Virginia  Reform  School  at  Pruntytown,  the  former  county  seat  of  that 
county,  on  the  Northwestern  Turnpike,  four  and  a  half  miles  from  Grafton, 
the  present  county  seat.  The  location,  which  is  two  miles  from  the 
Tygarts  Valley  River,  is  healthful  and  quite  picturesque. 

The  Board  of  Directors,  composed  of  A.  B.  Sinnett,  Kanawha  County; 
J.  E.  Peck,  Logan  County;  W.  M.  O.  Dawson,  Preston  County;  George  E. 
Pi-ice,  Mineral  County;  J.  Hop  Woods,  Barbour  County,  and  J.  C.  Gluck, 
Ritchie  County,  held  their  first  meeting  at  Grafton,  in  the  parlor  of  the 
Grafton  House,  January  2,  1890.  The  meeting  was  called  to  order  by 
W.  M.  O.  Dawson,  of  Preston  County,  and  organized  by  electing  George 
E.  Price,  president,  and  J.  Hop  Woods,  secretary.  After  a  number  of 
meetings  and  consultations  the  Board,  on  May  13,  1890,  elected  Professor 
C.  C.  Showalter,  of  Preston  County,  superintendent;  he  took  charge  of 
the  property  belonging  to  the  school,  May  21,  1890.  The  school  was 
formally  opened  July  21,  1890,  with  one  inmate,  a  white  boy,  committed 
by  T.  P.  Jacobs,  Judge  of  Wetzel  County  Circuit  Court. 

The  following  are  the  superintendents  in  their  order:  C.  C.  Sho- 
walter, D.  W.  Shaw,  J.  C.  Gluck,  O.  E.  Darnall  and  D.  S.  Hammond. 

The  object  of  the  school  is  the  moral  reformation,  mental  training, 
development  and  care  of  male  minors  between  the  ages  of  eight  and 
eighteen  years,  both  white  and  colored.  The  white  and  colored  boys 
have  separate  cottages  and  dining  rooms,  though  they  have  exactly  the 
same  privileges,  advantages  and  care.  Every  effort  is  made  to  elevate 
if  possible  each  boy  inmate  to  the  intelligent,  law-abiding  and  self-support- 
ing citizen. 

HOW    COMMITTED. 

Male  minors  between  the  ages  of  eight  and  eighteen  shall  be  com- 
mitted in  one  of  the  following  modes,  viz:  First,  "by  a  Justice  of  the 


94  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

Peace  of  any  county  in  the  State,"  "on  complaint  and  due  proof  made  to 
him  by  the  parent,  guardian  or  next  friend  of  such  minor,  that  by  reason 
of  incorrigible  or  vicious  conduct  such  minor  has  rendered  his  control 
beyond  the  power  of  such  parent,  guardian  or  next  friend  and  made  it 
manifestly  requisite  that  from  regard  for  the  moral  and  future  welfare 
of  such  minor,"  he  should  be  committed  to  the  Reform  School.  Second, 
by  the  State  Courts  for  felony  or  misdemeanor.  Third,  by  the  United 
States  District  Courts,  the  Government  paying  for  the  maintenance  and 
support  of  the  inmate.  Fourth,  by  parents  or  guardians  wishing  to  place 
a  minor  in  the  institution  for  temporary  restraint  and  agreeing  with  the 
Board  of  Directors  to  make  a  monthly  payment  for  his  maintenance. 

ENROLLMENT. 

Since  the  school  opened  for  the  reception  of  inmates,  July  21,  1890,  to 
January,  1907,  fourteen  hundred  and  fifty  boys  have  been  received  into  the 
institution. 

ENROLLMENT   BY    BIENNIAL   PERIOD. 

Boys  received  from  July  21st,  1890,  to  Oct.  1st,  1890 6 

Boys  received  from  Oct.  1st,  1890,  to  Oct.  1st,  1892 98 

Boys  received  from  Oct.  1st,  1892,  to  Oct.  1st,  1894 105 

Boys  received  from  Oct.  1st,  1894,  to  Oct.  1st,  1896 114 

Boys  received  from  Oct.  1st,  1896,  to  Oct.  1st,  1898 176 

Boys  received  from  Oct.  1st,  1898,  to  Oct.  1st,  1900 178 

Boys  received  from  Oct.  1st,  1900,  to  Oct.  1st,  1902 253 

Boys  received  from  Oct.  1st,  1902,  to  Oct.  1st,  1904 273 

Boys  received  from  Oct.  1st,  1904,  to  Oct.  1st,  1906 253 

i  ~ 
Total  number  received  in  the  history  of  the  school 1,420 

SEGREGATION. 

The  inmates  of  the  institution  are  divided  and  classified  according 
to  their  age,  mentality,  natural  ability  and  physical  appetites,  as  far  as 
possible.  This  classification  is  one  of  the  very  essential  needs  of  any 
such  institution.  Anything  less  than  a  complete  classification  would 
impair  the  work  of  reformation. 

INDUSTRIES. 

The  following  are  the  departments  in  the  trades  school:  Plumbing, 
Engineering,  Electricity,  Printing,  Tailoring,  Laundering,  Shoemaking, 
Carpentering,  Blacksmithing,  Brickmaking,  Coal-mining,  and  General 
Agriculture.  There  are  also  Sewing,  Baking  and  Culinary  Departments. 
The  object  of  the  trades  school  is  to  add  to  the  educational  advantages 
given  in  the  school  of  letters,  an  industrial  training  which  will  enable 
the  boys,  when  they  go  out  from  the  institution  and  are  thrown  upon 
their  own  resources,  to  obtain  the  means  of  living.  Each  industrial  de- 
partment is  officered  by  a  skilled  mechanic,  and  is  in  every  way  qualified 
for  the  work  of  making  skilled  mechanics  and  tradesmen,  as  well  as  good 
citizens.  Good  work  is  being  done  in  all  these  departments. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  95 

SCHOOL  OF  LETTERS. 

The  school  of  letters  is  one  of  the  most  important  features  of  the 
institution,  as  the  school  room  is  one  of  the  places  where  the  elements 
of  reformation  is  best  and  most  effectually  instilled  into  the  mind  of  the 
boy  committed  to  the  institution.  Many  boys  need  little  more  than  the 
instruction  given  in  our  school  of  letters,  and  the  mental  and  moral 
stimulus  which  naturally  follows.  All  the  inmates  are  required  to  attend 
school  regularly  at  least  nine  months  of  the  year,  except  the  smallest 
boys,  who  attend  school  ten  months  in  the  year,  with  a  short  vacation 
at  the  close  of  each  term.  The  school  is  divided  into  eight  grades,  as  are 
the  common  schools  of  the  State,  and  the  following  branches  are  taught: 
Reading,  Spelling,  Writing,  Arithmetic,  Geography,  Civil  Government, 
State  History,  American  History,  Physiology,  and  Language.  Boys  do  not 
drop  out  of  school  after  they  have  passed  the  eighth  grade,  but  take  up 
high  school  studies.  The  institution  is  fortunate  in  securing  most  excel- 
lent instructors  in  the  school  of  letters.  While  we  have  tried  to  give  an 
impetus  to  manual  training  and  trades  instruction,  special  attention  has 
been  given  to  the  graded  schools. 

RELIGIOUS     SERVICES. 

Our  Sunday  School  meets  at  9:30  in  the  morning,  and  the  Interna- 
tional Sunday  School  Lessons  are  used.  The  opening  services  consist  of 
songs,  responsive  reading  and  the  lesson  read  responsively,  after  which 
the  boys  recite  from  memory  the  entire  lesson.  A  review  of  the  lesson  is 
directed  by  the  superintendent  or  some  one  appointed  to  take  his  place. 
The  teachers  instruct  the  boys  in  the  Sunday  School  lesson  during  the 
week,  giving  each  class  two  evenings,  so  that  they  afe  all  thoroughly 
prepared  for  the  review  on  Sunday  morning.  There  is  preaching  on  the 
first  and  third  Sundays  of  each  month  at  10:30  A.  M.  by  the  pastors  of  the 
churches  of  the  town,  and  the  second  and  fourth  Sundays  are  filled  by  the 
superintendent  Or  some  visiting  minister.  The  superintendent  often 
holds  services  on  Sunday  evening  in  the  chapel.  We  think  much  good 
is  accomplished  by  the  Sunday  services,  and  we  impress  upon  the  mind 
of  the  boy  that  the  only  true  life  is  the  Christian  life. 

LECTURES   AND   ENTERTAINMENTS. 

The  institution  is  provided  with  a  very  healthful  and  atractive  audi- 
torium. We  have  all  the  lectures,  recitals  and  entertainments  that  our 
appropriation  for  "Ministerial  Services  and  Lectures"  will  secure.  We 
think  that  there  is  nothing  outside  of  the  religious  services  on  Sunday 
which  does  so  much  for  the  boys  as  our  lectures  and  entertainments. 
They  are  always  delighted  and  benefited  by  them. 

The  matrons  of  the  several  departments  spend  an  hour,  from  7:00  to 
8:00  o'clock,  Monday,  Tuesday,  Wednesday  and  Thursday  evenings  with 
the  boys  at  their  cottages.  The  hour  is  devoted  to  reading,  reciting  and 
singing,  or  to  whatever  the  matron  finds  most  helpful  and  interesting. 

PAROLE    SYSTEM. 

The  following  are  the  rules  governing  the  granting  of  paroles:  All 
grades  are  based  on  a  term  of  two  years'  work.  For  uniform  good  con- 


96  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

duct  and  progress  in  educational  requirements  there  may  be  allowed  a 
commutation  of  time,  marked  by  double  promotions,  as  follows:  For 
six  continuous  promotions  there  shall  be  another  double  promotion;  for 
six  further  continuous  promotions  there  shall  be  another  double  promo- 
tion; for  continuous  good  conduct  each  of  the  grades  including  'honor" 
and  "discharge"  shall  be  commuted  by  a  double  promotion  —  these  to  be 
approved  by  the  Board  of  Directors  —  so  that  in  eighteen  months  from  the 
time  of  admission  a  "Leave  of  Absence"  may  be  granted.  This  "Leave  of 
Absence"  is  granted  by  the  Board  of  Directors  as  a  reward  for  good  con- 
duct and  a  satisfactorily  completed  record,  and  holds  good  during  good 
behavior  or  until  the  boy  is  twenty-one  years  of  age,  as  shown  by  the 
records  of  the  school.  The  Board  may  grant  an  "Honorable  Discharge" 
to  said  boy  any  time  they  may  deem  it  advisable  after  one  year  from  date 
of  "Leave  of  Absence."  Said  boy  is  required  to  keep  the  superintendent 
informed  as  to  his  location,  conduct,  employment  and  employer  by 
writing  at  least  once  a  month.  The  parent,  guardian  or  employer  is  to 
write  also  and  inform  the  superintendent  of  the  boy's  behavior.  This  is 
embodied,  in  substance,  in  the  "Leave  of  Absence"  card.  This  part  of  the 
contract  is  not  always  kept,  but  few  boys  have  to  be  returned  to  the 
school.  The  great  majority  of  the  boys  do  well  after  leaving  the  institu- 
tion. The  very  best  method  for  the  reformation  of  boys  is  to  subject 
them  to  a  system  of  discipline  and  training  which  is  found  essential  to 
the  training  of  the  normal  youth  to  correct  moral  and  social  living. 

CONTROL. 

The  institution  is  controlled  by  the  Board  of  Directors,  five  in  num- 
ber, who  are  appointed  by  the  Governor,  and  the  superintendent,  who  is 
the  executive  officer. 

The  Board  of  Directors  meets  at  the  institution  the  second  Tuesday 
in  January,  April,  July  and  October.  The  executive  committee  com- 
posed of  three  of  the  directors  appointed  by  the  President  of  the  Board 
to  serve  for  three  months,  meets  the  second  Tuesday  of  each  month  to 
audit  accounts,  to  direct  the  work  of  improvement,  and  to  advise  with 
the  superintendent  in  reference  to  administration. 

THE    PLANT. 

The  plant  consists  of  one  hundred  and  ninety-five  acres  of  land, 
eighteen  buildings,  an  electric  light  plant,  by  which  all  the  buildings  are 
lighted,  together  with  a  pumping  station  at  the  Tygarts  Valley  River 
from  which  the  water  is  pumped  into  a  large  reservoir  located  upon  one 
of  the  highest  elevations  on  the  farm,  to  supply  the  entire  institution. 
A  sewer  line  carries  all  refuse  back  to  the  river. 


WEST  VIRGINIA. 


97 


FARM  AND  GARDEN  PRODUCTS. 
ARTICLES  PRODUCED  IN  THE  YEAR  1906. 


Wheat    2-68  Bushels 

Corn    1800 

Potatoes  300 

Hay    42  Tons 

Roasting   Ears 1300  Dozen 

Green    Beans 600  Bushels 

Cucumbers  75  Dozen 

Beets    30  Bushels 

Early   Onions 840  Dozen 

Mature    Onions 15  Bushels 

Cabbage  .  .  2500  Heads 


Lettuce    225  Bushels 

Radishes    425  Dozen 

Tomatoes    525  Bushela 

Lima  Beans 80 

Peas  7 

Turnips    25 

Celery  160  Bunches 

Peppers  800  Pods 

Pumpkins    450 

Strawberries    156  Gallons 

Raspberries    54  Gallons 


The  entire  period  from  the  opening  of  the  school,  July  21,  1890,  to 
the  present,  has  been  one  of  uninterrupted  progress  and  improvement. 
The  moral  reformation,  mental  training  and  development  of  the  boys 
committed  to  the  institution  is  being  vigorously  prosecuted,  and  when  we 
consider  the  mental  and  moral  condition  of  the  boys  when  they  enter, 
the  improvement  seems  to  be  marvelous.  We  are  not  surprised  to  find, 
after  examination,  that  the  boys  do  not  measure  up  to  the  normal 
standard  of  the  average  boy  outside.  When  we  consider  the  ancestry, 
environment  and  mode  of  life  previous  to  conviction,  of  many  of  those 
committed  to  the  Reform  School,  it  is  easily  understood  why  they  are 
mentally,  morally  and,  indeed,  physically  below  the  standard.  IVIany 
of  them  have  but  little  if  any  home  life;  their  parents,  concerned  only 
in  the  struggle  for  existence  and  frequently  engaged  in  vicious  employ- 
ment, are  not  able  to  give  them  more  than  an  occasional  thought,  and 
when  they  do,  it  is  rather  to  serve  their  own  selfish  purposes  than  to 
benefit  the  child.  Just  as  soon  as  they  are  large  enough  they  are  put  to 
work  to  earn  something  to  help  the  family,  and  then  they  come  in  contact 
with  an  older  and  usually  rougher  class  than  themselves.  The  chances 
are  that  they  have  not  been  permitted  to  attend  school,  or  if  so,  have 
played  the  truant  and  have  neither  the  training  nor  the  education 
with  which  to  begin  life  on  arriving  at  the  period  of  adolescence.  At  this 
time  in  life  they  frequently  run  away  or  are  obliged  to  leave  home  and 
shift  for  themselves,  and  are  left  largely  to  their  own  devices,  with  ill- 
defined  ideas  of  right  and  wrong.  With  but  little  if  any  educational 
equipment  and  but  little  or  no  moral  or  religious  training,  they  find  it 
difficult  to  obtain  a  living,  and  soon  violate  the  law  and  naturally  gravi- 
tate to  the  reformatory  or  prison. 

With  this  picture  of  the  conditions  of  birth  and  early  environment 
of  the  average  boy  committed  to  the  institution,  we  will  give  a  brief 
outline  of  the  method  of  treatment  employed: 

Upon  the  arrival  of  a  new  boy  he  is  taken  before  the  superintendent, 
who  talks  with  him  of  his  life  and  the  nature  of  the  crime  for  which  he 
has  been  sent  to  the  institution.  He  is  then  instructed  in  the  rules  and 
regulations  of  the  school  and  their  meaning  and  the  importance  of  his 


98  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 

keeping  them,  and  is  assured  that  by  application  and  good  behavior,  to- 
gether with  a  manifest  intention  to  obey  the  laws  when  released,  he  will 
be  able  to  hasten  his  parole.  Then  the  family  history,  as  far  as  possible, 
and  the  personal  history  of  the  boy  are  carefully  inquired  into,  and  a  rec- 
ord of  the  same  preserved.  A  course  of  treatment  is  outlined  which  will 
meet  as  far  as  possible  his  deficiencies  in  education  and  will  build  up  his 
mental,  moral  and  physical  condition. 

Special  attention  is  given  to  ascertain  how  nearly  the  boy  committed 
approaches  the  normal  standard,  in  order  to  estimate  his  natural  ability 
or  capacity,  as  all  this  has  a  distinct  bearing  upon  the  educational 
measures  adopted  to  help  in  his  reformation  and  also  effects  to  some 
extent  the  period  of  his  detention. 

If  a  certificate  from  a  reputable  physician  does  not  accompany  the 
boy  to  the  effect  that  he  is  sound  in  mind  and  body  and  free  from  all 
infectious  and  contagious  diseases,  he  is  taken  before  our  physician  and 
a  careful  medical  examination  is  given  him.  He  is  then  bathed  and  fur- 
nished with  an  entire  outfit  of  new  clothing  and  assigned  his  home, 
school  and  work. 

Enforced  regular  habits  and  systematic  physical  exercise  enable 
almost  every  inmate  to  leave  the  school  sounder  and  stronger  than  when 
he  entered.  Long  continued  military  drill  makes  order,  neatness  and 
respect  for  law  and  authority,  habitual.  It  may  be  said  that  these  things 
effect  only  the  physical  and  mental  sides  of  their  nature,  and  that  what 
they  need  is  moral  improvement.  It  is  true  at  the  start  the  average  boy 
earnestly  applies  himself  to  these  things  without  any  love  for  them,  and 
for  the  reason  that  he  is  told  that  only  by  making  a  certain  record  of 
proficiency  in  them  can  he  be  released;  but  in  the  doing  there  comes  in 
time  a  development  of  that  indescribable  something  which  we  call  charac- 
ter, and  everything  is  now  looked  upon  from  a  different  and  better  point 
of  view.  He  acquires  the  power  of  persistent  and  concentrated  effort, 
changes  his  aims  and  ambitions  and  becomes  receptive  to  the  more  direct 
moral  influences  of  the  school.  Religious  instructions  are  faithfully  im- 
parted. Through  these  and  similar  instrumentalities  the  object  of  the 
institution  —  "reformation" — is  accomplished  with  reference  to  the  ma- 
jority of  the  inmates. 

A  system  of  education,  to  be  efficient,  must  draw  out,  utilize  and 
develop  all  the  faculties  of  man's  complex  nature.  These  faculties  are 
the  intellectual,  moral,  emotional,  spiritual.  None  of  the  great  constitu- 
ent human  faculties  should  be  neglected.  The  physician  must  make 
health  and  secure  sanitary  environment.  The  teacher  must  enrich  the 
mind  and  engender  the  ability  and  inclination  for  useful  employment, 
and  the  counsels  of  religion  must  be  used  as  the  supreme  instrumentality 
for  arousing  all  that  is  noblest  and  best  in  the  spiritual  nature.  Thus 
by  a  policy  of  "light  and  love,"  conceived  in  altruism  and  executed  with 
tact,  tenacity  and  enlightened  zeal,  will  the  delinquent  be  restrained  and 
redeemed. 

The  State,  the  supreme  representative  of  organized  society,  the 
guardian  of  humanity's  welfare,  the  dispenser  of  justice  and  mercy,  cannot 
afford  to  impair  its  dignity,  nor  lessen  the  prestige  which  it  so  proudly 


WEST  VIRGINIA.  99 

maintains,  by  knowingly  doing  an  ungenerous  act,  nor  in  the  failure  of 
known  duty. 


West  Virginia  Industrial  Home  for   Girls 

BY   HILDA  M.   DUNGAN,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

The  West  Virginia  Industrial  Home  for  Girls  was  established  by  an 
Act  of  the  Legislature  in  1897. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Directors  was  held  in  Clarksburg, 
July  28,  1897,  to  select  a  site.  The  members  of  the  Board  were  Dr. 
Harriet  B.  Jones,  of  Wheeling;  Mrs.  N.  R.  C.  Morrow,  of  Fairmont;  Mrs. 
R.  S.  Gardner,  of  Clarksburg;  Hon.  John  Cummins,  of  Wheeling;  Hon. 
Stillwell  Young,  of  Gaines,  and  Hon.  J.  Jerome  Haddox,  of  Huntington. 

The  towns  of  Corinth,  Buckhannon,  Huntington,  Bridgeport,  Clarks- 
burg and  Salem  offered  sites,  and  on  September  2,  1897,  the  site  offered  by 
Salem  was  accepted.  There  were  33  acres  to  which  ten  more  have  been 
added. 

The  Home  is  beautifully  located  on  two  hills  with  a  pretty  ravine 
crossed  by  a  bridge,  and  a  grove  of  trees  forming  a  background.  It  is 
fifteen  miles  from  Clarksburg  and  one  and  a  half  miles  from  the  Salem 
station,  on  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad.  There  is  a  station  at  the 
gate  of  the  institution,  named  Industrial,  at  which  all  accommodation 
trains  stop.  There  is  also  a  Postoffice  of  the  same  name.  It  has  an 
abundance  of  excellent  water;  and,  being  situated  in  the  gas  region,  gas 
is  used  for  heat  and  light. 

The  cottage  plan  was  adopted  by  the  Board  and  the  Home  now  consists 
of  two  cottages  and  a  school  building  with  a  chapel  on  the  second  floor. 
The  first  building,  Jones  Cottage,  named  after  Dr.  Harriet  B.  Jones, 
the  founder  of  the  "Home",  was  opened  in  April  of  1899  with  Miss  Eliza- 
beth Clohan,  of  Wheeling,  as  superintendent;  Mrs.  Ophelia  Trippett,  of 
Preston  County,  as  manager  ,and  Miss  Mary  Davis,  of  Harrison  County,  as 
housekeeper.  The  first  girls  came  May  the  5th,  from  which  time  there  has 
never  been  room  to  accommodate  all  who  have  been  committed. 

The  "Home"  is  in  no  sense  a  prison,  but  a  place  of  instruction  and  cor- 
rection, giving  the  wayward  girl  the  environment  of  a  well-kept  home, 
where  she  is  taught  to  be  industrious  and  self-respecting,  and  is  kept 
amid  surroundings  of  refinement  and  Christian  influences  that  must 
arouse  some  desire  for  a  better,  purer,  nobler  life. 

Incorrigible  girls,  truants,  beggars  and  those  in  such  surroundings 
that  they  are  in  danger  of  falling  into  habits  of  immorality  and  vice,  from 
eight  to  eighteen,  may  be  committed  to  the  care  of  the  "Home"  until  they 
are  twenty-one. 

All  girls  do  housework  in  the  morning  and  attend  the  school  of  letters 
in  the  afternoon  from  1:00  to  4:00. 

As  soon  as  a  girl  is  thought  to  be  capable  of  earning  her  own  living, 
she  is  found  employment  and  given  a  trial,  usually  in  a  good  home; 
there  are  thirty-three  out  at  present,  doing  for  themselves;  many  have 


100  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 

been  placed  in  excellent  Christian  homes,  where  they  are  looked  after 
morally,  mentally  and  physically.  No  girl  is  allowed  to  leave  the  Home 
until  every  available  effort  is  made  to  find  out  what  kind  of  home  the 
applicant  offers. 

Already  we  see  results  in  the  moral,  mental  and  physical  improvement 
of  those  who  have  come  under  the  beneficent  influence  of  the  "Home". 
In  the  changed  faces,  deportment  and  language,  one  scarcely  recognizes  the 
girls  who  entered  a  few  months  ago.  Is  it  not  worth  while  to  help  to 
make  good  women,  and  give  these  girls  a  chance? 


The  West  Virginia  Colored  Institute 

BY    PRESIDENT    J.    MCHENRY    JONES. 

The  problem  of  negro  education  is  by  no  means  a  simple  one.  How 
to  lift  an  ignorant  and  long  neglected  race  to  the  plane  of  the  twentieth 
century  requirements,  fitting  it  for  the  complicated  economic  and  moral 
duties  of  life,  giving  it  the  fibre  to  contend  patiently  for  place  amid  the 
maddening  competition  of  the  business  world;  to  lay  bare  the  mistakes 
and  follies  of  the  first  intoxication  of  long  prayed  for  freedom  and  inspire 
with  the  spirit  of  real  liberty  and  true  citizenship  millions  of  unfortunate 
but  native  born  Americans,  challenges  the  sacrifice  of  the  deepest  thought 
and  the  truest  patriotism. 

In  studying  the  question  we  must  not  eliminate  from  our  calculation 
the  fact  that  we  are  dealing  with  the  children  of  a  race  scarcely  a  genera- 
tion removed  from  slavery  and  around  whom  still  cling  many  of  the 
sad  results  of  their  parents'  unfortunate  past.  In  the  minds  of  most  of 
these  children  education  and  labor  are  distinct  and  opposite  concepts. 
Education  is  associated  with  luxury  and  idleness,  labor  with  ignorance 
and  drudgery.  To  teach  the  nobility  of  labor  and  that  the  greatest 
usefulness  and  highest  happiness  are  the  handmaids  of  diligence  is  the 
mission  of  our  school.  In  this  work  we  must  make  haste  slowly.  We 
must  guard  against  unfair  standards  of  comparison  and  observe  that  the 
educational  progress  of  a  race  cannot  always  be  measured  by  a  progress 
of  things.  Buildings  and  apparatus  measure  largely  the  progress  of 
things,  but  time  is  a  very  important  element  in  ascertaining  definitely 
what  has  been  the  ultimate  progress  of  hand  and  mind. 

The  West  Virginia  Colored  Institute,  like  the  other  agricultural  and 
mechanical  schools  for  the  colored  race,  is  a  child  of  the  Morrill  Bill. 
This  bill  was  approved  by  Congress  August  30,  1890,  and  entitled  "An  act 
to  apply  a  portion  of  the  proceeds  of  the  public  lands  to  the  more  com- 
plete endowment  and  support  of  the  colleges  for  the  benefit  of  agriculture 
and  the  mechanic  arts  established  under  the  provisions  of  an  act  of 
Congress  approved  July  2,  1862." 

By  this  act  West  Virginia  was  apportioned  eighteen  thousand  dollars 
and  by  act  of  the  Legislature,  session  of  1891,  fifteen  thousand  dollars  was 
given  to  the  West  Virginia  University,  and  three  thousand  to  the  West 


WEST  VIRGINIA.  101 

Virginia  Colored  Institute,  established  by  the  same  act.  By  the  conditions 
of  the  act  these  sums  were  to  be  augmented  until  the  University  should 
receive  twenty  thousand  dollars  and  the  Institute  five  thousand  dollars 
annually,  which  sums  would  be  the  maximum. 

Mr.  J.  Edwin  Campbell,  the  first  principal  of  the  West  Virginia 
Colored  Institute,  gives  the  following  account  of  its  establishment:  "An 
appropriation  of  ten  thousand  dollars  was  made  by  the  Legislature  with 
which  to  purchase  a  farm  of  not  more  than  fifty  acres  and  to  build  a 
suitable  building  for  such  an  institution.  As  the  act  provided  that  the 
institution  should  be  located  in  Kanawha  County,  it  was  first  thought  best 
to  purchase  the  property  known  as  "Shelton  College,"  situated  on  the 
lofty  hill  overlooking  the  village  of  St.  Albans.  But  the  committee  ap- 
pointed, after  investigation,  reported  adversely.  It  was  then  decided  to 
erect  a  building  at  some  suitable  location. 

Finally,  thirty  acres  of  level  bottom  land  was  purchased  from  Mrs. 
Elijah  Hurt,  near  "Farm,"  on  the  Great  Kanawha  River.  This  land  is 
a  part  of  the  estate  left  by  Samuel  Cabell,  deceased.  Upon  this  farm  the 
Board  of  the  School  Fund  erected  a  building. 

Ground  was  broken  August  25,  1891,  and  the  corner  stone  laid  Sun- 
day, October  11,  of  the  same  year.  The  building  was  completed  about 
the  1st  of  April,  1892,  and  was  received  by  the  Board  of  the  School  Fund 
on  April  20th. 

BUILDINGS. 

The  main  or  academic  building,  Fleming  Hall,  which  was  the  first 
erected,  cost  in  round  numbers  about  ten  thousand  dollars.  It  was  care- 
fully designed  and  planned  to  meet  the  needs  of  modern  education.  Since 
its  erection,  the  building  has  been  considerably  enlarged,  and  is  now  eighty- 
three  feet  long,  seventy-six  feet  wide,  and  is  in  every  way  modern  in  its  ap- 
pointments. Besides  an  additional  purchase  of  thirty-eight  acres  of  land,  a 
modern  barn  and  seven  other  buildings  have  been  erected  upon  the  Insti- 
tute grounds.  Five  of  these  are  built  of  stone  and  brick;  the  others  are 
frame  buildings. 

MacCorkle  Hall  is  a  large  and  beautiful  building,  one  hundred  and 
six  feet  long  and  fifty  feet  wide  and  accommodates  a  hundred  girls. 
Atkinson  Hall,  the  young  men's  dormitory,  rivals  MacCorkle  Hall  in  con- 
venience and  beauty.  The  A.  B.  White  Trade  School,  the  most  commo- 
dious and  by  far  the  largest  building  connected  with  the  school,  being 
two  hundred  and  forty-four  feet  in  its  greatest  width,  with  ornamenta- 
tions of  stone  and  roofed  with  slate,  would  be  a  credit  to  any  institution. 
This  building,  erected  at  a  cost  of  thirty-five  thousand  dollars  and  finished 
by  the  students  of  the  school,  is  intended  to  contain  all  of  the  industries 
for  boys.  If  we  except  the  Armstrong-Slater  Trades  School  at  Tuskegee, 
this  is  the  largest  building  of  its  kind  in  the  United  States,  and  without 
exception  the  best  lighted  and  most  convenient.  Dawson  Hall,  the  build- 
ing for  Domestic  Arts  and  Sciences,  now  in  course  of  erection,  when 
finished,  will  be  the  most  beautiful  building  on  the  campus.  This  hall, 
built  of  brick  and  stone,  will  contain  all  the  girls'  industries,  and  the 
third  story  will  be  utilized  as  a  Senior  Girls'  Home.  These  buildings,  to- 


102  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 

gether  with  West  Hall,  a  large  frame  building,  containing  the  library 
and  the  departments  of  agriculture  and  cooking,  and  with  the  principal's 
home,  a  large  and  convenient  frame  building,  constitute  the  buildings  of 
the  institution.  All  of  them  are  heated  by  steam  and  lighted  with  elec- 
tricity. 

ALUMNI. 

It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  the  worth  of  an  institution  is  generally 
measured  by  the  character  of  its  graduates.  The  West  Virginia  Colored 
Institute  has  a  pardonable  pride  in  the  work  of  the  Alumni  who  have 
issued  from  its  walls.  In  all  one  hundred  and  sixty-one  students  have 
graduated  from  the  school  since  1896;  of  these  eighty-five  are  engaged 
in  teaching,  three  are  successful  pastors,  two  are  machinists,  one  an 
atorney-at-law,  sixteen  are  carpenters  ,six  blacksmiths,  and  twelve  are 
dressmakers.  The  remainder  are  leading  useful  lives.  A  casual  glance 
at  the  above  figures  reveals  the  fact  that  by  far  the  larger  half  of  the 
graduates  from  our  school  have  devoted  their  energies  to  teaching.  This 
is  true  of  the  first  graduates  from  nearly  all  institutions  for  normal  and 
industrial  training  for  the  negroes.  It  grows  out  of  the  great  demand 
among  us  for  trained  teachers.  Many  of  these  teachers,  however,  follow 
their  trades  during  vacation  from  school  duties. 

THE   COURSE  OF   STUDY. 

The  course  of  study  in  the  West  Virginia  Colored  Institute  is  the  same 
as  that  which  is  pursued  in  the  other  normal  schools  of  the  State.  In 
addition  to  the  book-work,  every  student  is  required  to  learn  some  useful 
trade  before  graduation.  To  do  this,  it  is  necessary  to  divide  the  six 
grades  of  the  school  into  equal  divisions,  one-half  pursuing  book  work  in 
the  morning,  while  the  other  half  are  in  the  shops  and  in  the  various 
departments.  In  the  afternoon  the  first  half  go  to  the  shops,  while  those 
who  work  in  the  morning  have  book  work  in  the  afternoon.  In  this  way 
the  pupils  are  given  equal  opportunities  for  mental  and  manual  training. 

DEPARTMENTS. 

The  school  has  six  well  equipped  departments  under  the  direction  of 
twenty-two  teachers,  viz.:  Normal,  Agricultural,  Mechanical,  Domestic, 
Commercial,  and  Musical.  The  Normal  Department  has  been  previously 
discussed.  In  the  Mechanical  Department,  Smithing,  Wheelwrighting, 
Steamfitting,  Carpentry,  Woodwork,  Brick  Laying,  Plastering,  Printing, 
and  Mechanical  Drawing  are  taught. 

The  Agricultural  Department,  besides  giving  a  good  course  in  scien- 
tific farming,  also  offers  to  students  entering  it  practical  opportunities  in 
dairying,  poultry  raising,  stock  judging,  and  general  farm  work. 

The  Department  of  Domestic  Arts  teaches  Plain  Sewing,  Dress- 
making, Millinery,  Cooking,  Laundering,  and  Housekeeping. 

The  Commercial  Course  —  designed  to  give  the  student  a  knowledge 
of  business  forms  —  besides  giving  a  short  course  in  Bookkeeping,  has  an 
excellent  course  in  Shorthand  and  Typewriting. 

The  Musical  Department,  besides  giving  instruction  in  Sight-Reading, 
Voice  Culture,  and  Ear  Training,  offers  an  excellent  opportunity  for 


WEST  VIRGINIA.  103 

instruction  on  the  Pianoforte.  Pupils  pursue  the  course  of  study  in  this 
school  at  a  very  small  cost  and  with  no  extra  charges  for  the  use  of  a 
piano  for  practice. 

MILITARY   DEPARTMENT. 

Besides  the  well  organized  departments  above  mentioned,  the  State 
provides  for  the  appointment  of  sixty  cadets,  who  receive  their  uniforms, 
room  rent,  books  and  stationery  free  of  charge.  The  course  in  this  de- 
partment is  both  theoretical  and  practical;  the  first  includes  recitations 
in  drill  regulations,  supplemented  by  lectures  on  minor  tactics;  army 
organization,  administration  and  discipline;  small  arms,  firing  regula- 
tions, and  other  military  subjects. 

The  practical  course  includes  military  drill  and  gymnastics,  target 
practice,  military  signaling,  marching,  and  castramentation. 

NUMBERS. 

The  school  at  present  has  an  enrollment  of  two  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  students,  which  is  the  largest  in  its  history.  This  number  fills  the 
present  dormitories  too  full  for  comfort.  Students  are  in  attendance 
here  from  eight  states;  as  we  have  said  before,  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
one  graduates  have  gone  forth  from  the  institution,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  large  number  who  have  gone  into  the  field  of  life  without  finishing 
the  prescribed  course. 

INCOME. 

The  income  of  the  school  is  derived  from  two  sources:  First,  an 
annual  amount  of  $5,000  received  from  the  Morrill  Fund;  second,  Legis- 
lative appropriation.  The  money  received  from  the  United  States  Gov- 
ernment can  be  applied  only  to  instruction  in  agriculture,  the  mechanic 
arts,  English  language,  and  the  various  branches  of  mathematical, 
physical,  natural  and  economic  science,  with  special  reference  to  their 
application  in  the  industries  of  life,  and  to  the  facilities  for  such  instruc- 
tion. The  State  has  dealt  very  generously  with  the  West  Virginia  Colored 
Institute,  as  the  following  list  of  appropriations  will  show: 

1891 $10,000 

1893 14,000 

1895 16,000 

1897 29,000 

1899 39,000 

1901 66,000 

1903 54,000 

1905 64,705 

Total $352,705 

The  idea  which  has  dominated  the  school  from  its  beginning  has 
been  that  thrift,  education  and  religion  were  necessary  to  lift  the  negro 
to  the  full  enjoyment  of  modern  civilization,  and  following  out  that 
original  conception,  the  school  aims  to  teach  the  hands  to  work,  the 
mind  to  think  and  the  heart  to  love. 


104  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 

Bluef icld  Colored  Institute 

BY   R.    P.    SIMS,    PRINCIPAL. 
AN  HISTORICAL  NOTICE. 

The  West  Virginia  Legislature,  February  21,  1895,  passed  an  act  to 
establish  a  High  School  at  Bluefield,  Mercer  County,  for  the  colored 
youth  of  the  State.  The  act  provided  that  the  school  should  be  known  as 
the  Bluefield  Colored  Institute,  and  carried  with  it  an  appropriation  of 
eight  thousand  dollars  for  the  purchase  of  lands  and  the  erection  of  a 
building. 

On  the  17th  of  October,  1895,  the  Board  of  Regents,  composed  of  Hon. 
Virgil  A.  Lewis,  then  State  Superintendent  of  Free  Schools;  Hon.  William 
M.  Mahood,  Hon.  George  M.  Bowers,  Hon.  Joseph  Brady  arid  Hon. 
John  S.  Marcum,  organized  at  the  Bluefield  Inn,  and  purchased  for  the 
sum  of  eighteen  hundred  dollars  four  acres  of  land  on  a  beautiful  em- 
inence overlooking  the  city  of  Bluefield. 

At  a  meeting  held  in  Parkersburg,  February  10,  1896,  a  contract  was 
let  for  the  erection  of  the  school  building,  and  Hamilton  Hatter,  then  a 
teacher  in  Storer  College,  at  Harper's  Ferry,  was  elected  principal  of  the 
Institute.  All  things  were  in  readiness  for  the  reception  of  students  on 
the  6th  of  December,  1896. 

COLLEGE    HALLS    AND    DORMITORIES. 

These  are  three  in  number,  and  when  the  sum  of  money  expended 
thereon  is  considered,  the  Institute  is  highly  creditable  to  the  State. 

Mahood  Hall,  so  called  in  honor  of  Hon.  William  M.  Mahood,  who 
was  the  author  of  the  Legislative  bill  establishing  the  school,  is  the 
college  building.  It  was  in  part  erected  in  1896,  and  for  eight  years  was 
used  for  school  purposes.  In  1902  the  Legislature  appropriated  the  sum  of 
eight  thousand  dollars  for  the  purpose  of  finishing  the  structure  accord- 
ing to  original  plans.  It  is  one  among  the  best  appointed  school  buildings 
in  the  State.  The  building  is  79%  x  68  feet  and  combines  beauty  and 
utility  in  a  high  degree.  On  the  first  floor  are  five  well  lighted  recitation 
rooms,  two  cloak  rooms,  a  study  room  and  the  office  of  the  principal. 
On  the  second  floor  is  a  commodious  auditorium  with  a  seating  capacity 
of  about  eight  hundred,  and  also  the  rooms  of  the  Domestic  Science  De- 
partment. 

In  1897  the  Legislature  made  an  appropriation  of  four  thousand 
dollars  to  erect  and  furnish  a  Girls'  Dormitory.  This  was  received  by  the 
Board  on  November  20  ensuing.  The  Legislature,  in  1903,  appropriated 
six  thousand  dollars  for  the  purpose  of  enlarging  this  building.  It  is 
a  four-story  frame  structure  with  a  wing  two  stories  high  and  having 
porches  extending  along  the  entire  front,  and  contains  in  all  seventy 
rooms,  all  of  which  are  furnished  and  fitted  with  necessary  appliances 
according  to  their  several  uses.  It  is  supplied  with  hot  and  cold  water, 
heated  by  steam,  lighted  by  electricity,  and  furnished  in  every  way  to 
make  it  both  attractive  and  comfortable.  It  is  an  ideal  home  and  provides 
accommodations  for  more  than  one  hundred  girls. 


Music  HALL,  MORRIS  HARVEY  COLLEGE 


BECKLEY  SEMINARY 


WEST  VIRGINIA.  105 

The  Boys'  Dormitory,  erected  in  1900,  equals  Lewis  Hall  in  con- 
venience. 

COURSES  OF  STUDY. 

The  school  offers  instruction  in  two  courses  of  study  —  \he  Normal 
and  Academic.  The  Normal  Course  is  the  same  as  that  followed  in  the 
State  Normal  Schools,  and  is  intended  to  give  thorough  training  for 
teachers.  The  Academic  Course  fits  for  college. 

As  the  students  that  come  into  a  school  of  this  kind  lack  —  and  this 
will  no  doubt  be  true  for  years  to  come — much  of  the  training  which 
is  given  in  well  regulated  homes,  the  Board  has  very  wisely  provided  a 
Domestic  Science  Department,  wherein  girls  are  taught  sewing  and 
cooking. 

Instruction  is  also  given  in  vocal  and  instrumental  music. 


COUNTY  SKETCHES. 


Berkeley  County 

BY    E.    H.    TABLER,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

Berkeley  County  occupies  the  central  portion  of  the  "Eastern  Pan 
Handle";  it  has  an  area  of  257  square  miles  and  a  population  of  20,000. 

Free  schools  were  first  established  in  Berkeley  County  in  1866,  with 
J.  Canby  as  Superintendent.  The  seven  districts  following  were  organ- 
ized: Mill  Creek,  Gerardstown,  Arden,  Hedgesville,  Martinsburg,  Opequon 
and  Falling  Waters.  The  amount  derived  from  the  State  school  fund 
was  $3,330.10.  The  enumeration  of  school  youth  was  3,898. 

Harrison  Tabler,  David  Thompson  and  Jacob  Miller,  Commissioners 
for  Opequon  District,  met  at  Greensburg,  March  6,  1866,  and  organized  the 
district  by  establishing  schools  at  the  following  places:  Butts  Town, 
Greensburg,  Smoketown,  Liberty  Grove,  Myers  and  Ridenour,  Thomas 
Williams  being  clerk  of  the  Board. 

Dr.  Thomas  J.  Harley,  Jacob  Ropp,  and  Thomas  L.  Harper,  Com- 
missioners for  Hedgesville  District,  met  in  the  village  of  Hedgesville, 
April  16,  1866,  and  organized  the  schools  of  the  district  by  establishing 
schools  in  nine  sub-districts,  viz.:  Hedgesville,  Little  Georgetown,  John- 
sontown,  Silers,  Tomahawk,  Pitzer's  Mill,  Dry  Run,  Welltown  and  North 
Mountain.  George  W.  McAllister  was  clerk  of  the  Board. 

Schools  were  established  in  Mill  Creek  District  at  the  following 
places:  Bunker  Hill,  Darkesville,  Sylvan  Retreat,  Pine  Grove  and  Three 
Runs. 

No  record  is  left  of  the  other  districts.  Fifty-four  teachers'  certificates 
were  issued  that  year.  The  Superintendent's  salary  was  $25.00. 

By  the  year  1869,  the  school  sub-districts  of  the  county  numbered 
forty-one,  in  which  forty-five  schools  were  in  session.  Fifty-two  teachers 
were  employed;  seven  new  schoolhouses  were  built;  4,936  school  youth 
were  enumerated,  of  which  number  an  average  of  1,428  attended  school. 
Teachers'  wages  averaged  $40.00  per  month.  There  was  expended  for 
land  $165.00,  for  houses  $8,559.02,  and  for  apparatus  $442.25.  Seventy-four 


106  HISTOBY  OF  EDUCATION. 

teachers  received  certificates,  issued  in  half  grades,  from  one  to  five. 
E.  S.  Lacy  was  County  Superintendent. 

By  an  act  of  the  Legislature  of  West  Virginia  in  1873,  Martinsburg 
was  made  an  independent  district,  and  the  powers  given  the  Commission- 
ers were  enlarged  by  an  act  passed  in  1875.  David  Speer  was  the  first 
Superintendent. 

Nothing  of  moment  seems  to  have  occurred  in  the  country  districts 
until  1888,  when  D.  H.  Dodd  was  appointed  County  Superintendent  to  fill 
the  vacancy  created  by  the  death  of  M.  T.  Bowen.  Mr.  Dodd  introduced 
the  graded  system  for  public  schools,  which  had  been  inaugurated  in 
Monongalia  county  by  Professor  A.  L.  Wade,  and  which  had  become  so 
popular  in  many  parts  of  the  state.  He  also  issued  a  complete  catalogue 
giving  the  classification  of  all  the  schools  of  the  county ;  which  plan  is  a 
very  important  aid  in  the  graded  school  system. 

During  Mr.  Dodd's  administration  education  reached  a  high  plane, 
which  is  evidenced  by  the  teachers'  examination  of  1889.  Out  of  73 
candidates  56  received  No.  1  certificates.  Up  to  this  time  seventy  schools 
had  been  established,  taught  by  seventy-five  teachers.  In  the  school 
examination,  under  Mr.  Dodd's  graduating  system,  twenty-nine  pupils 
completed  the  course  and  received  diplomas. 

From  this  time  down  to  the  present  Berkeley  County  schools  have 
been  among  the  best  in  the  State.  We  now  have  eighty-one  schools,  ex- 
clusive of  Martinsburg  Independent  District.  Martinsburg  has  thirty-one 
schools. 

Our  school  houses  are  of  brick  or  frame,  seated  with  hygenic  desks; 
most  of  them  have  real  slate  blackboards,  and  are  provided  with  charts, 
globes,  apparatus  and  International  dictionaries. 

The  following  have  served  as  County  Superintendents:  J.  Canby, 
J.  S.  Heilig,  E.  S.  Lacy,  W.  S.  Penich,  E.  M.  Walker,  E.  S.  Tabler,  J.  P. 
Stump,  S.  L.  Dodd,  H.  S.  Butts,  M.  T.  Bowen,  D.  H.  Dodd,  P.  T.  Keesecker, 
C.  C.  Tabler,  James  Snyder,  J.  W.  Shirley  and  E.  H.  Tabler. 

Hedgesville  District  has  the  honor  of  having  the  only  real  graded 
school  of  the  country  districts  of  the  county.  She  has  furnished  eight  of 
the  County  Superintendents. 

Out  of  Little  Georgetown  School,  of  this  district,  have  come  eight 
public  school  teachers  and  three  County  Superintendents. 

The  enumeration  for  this  year  is,  in  the  country  districts,  4,048;  in  the 
city  of  Martinsburg,  2,460.  The  amount  derived  from  the  State  school 
fund  for  distribution  among  the  country  districts  is  $9,149.60,  less 
$425.00,  the  salary  of  the  County  Superintendent.  The  amount  appropri- 
ated to  the  city  of  Martinsburg  is  $5,302.00. 


Brooke   County 

i 

BY  GEORGE  W.  HOGG,   SUPERINTENDENT. 

The  County  of  Brooke,  although  it  is  the  smallest  in  the  State,  is  unex- 
celled if,  indeed,  equalled  in  educational  advantages.    Having  a  total  area 


WEST  VIRGINIA.  107 

of  less  than  eighty-five  square  miles,  the  taxable  property  within  its  boun- 
daries is  valued  at  $12,600,000.00.  It  is  traversed  by  the  Wabash,  Pan 
Handle,  and  Pittsburg,  Wheeling  and  Kentucky  railroads.  There  are  twenty- 
four  miles  of  electric  railways  in  the  county.  Three  modern  steel  bridges 
span  the  Ohio  River,  affording  excellent  transportation  facilities  to  the 
numerous  manufacturing  enterprises  located  here. 

Within  the  county  are  numerous  rural  schools  housed  in  comfortable 
buildings,  all  well  equipped  with  charts,  maps,  globes,  slate  blackboards, 
libraries,  etc.  There  are  five  graded  schools  employing  from  four  to  ten 
teachers  each,  and  two  high  schools.  Within  the  county  is  also  located 
Bethany  College,  established  in  1840,  which  is  in  a  flourishing  condition 
to-day  and  one  of  the  most  widely  and  favorably  known  colleges  of  the 
country. 

For  the  administration  of  public  school  affairs  the  county  is  divided 
into  three  districts  —  Buffalo,  Cross  Creek  and  Wellsburg.  Wellsburg 
Independent  District  has  had  an  established  high  school  for  many  years. 
Cross  Creek  District,  at  an  election  held  November  6,  1906,  voted  to 
establish  a  high  school  at  Follansbee.  The  high  school  building  is  under 
course  of  construction,  and  when  completed  will  have  cost  twenty  thou- 
sand dollars.  The  Cross  Creek  Board  of  Education  is  also  building  a  new 
four-room  school  at  Colliers.  Buffalo  District  has  a  suitable  building  and 
is  taking  steps  toward  the  centralization  of  several  schools  at  the  town 
of  Bethany,  and  at  other  places  in  the  district  where  centralization  will 
be  expedient. 

The  great  industrial  development  now  in  progress  is  bringing  large 
numbers  of  people  into  the  county,  and  the  population  will  have  reached 
the  twenty  thousand  mark  by  the  close  of  the  present  decade.  But  the 
natural  wealth  and  advantages  of  the  county,  due  largely  to  the  railroads 
and  industrial  enterprise  of  our  citizens,  is  so  great  that  the  rate  of  taxes 
for  school  purposes  is  surprisingly  low  in  comparison  with  many  other 
less  favored  localities. 


Cabell  County 

IRA    F.    HATFIELD,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

Cabell  County,  framed  in  1809,  from  Kanawha,  and  named  from 
William  H.  Cabell,  a  former  Governor  of  Virginia,  has  an  area  of  300 
square  miles.  It  is  situated  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  State  and  is 
surrounded  by  the  counties  of  Mason,  Putnam,  Lincoln  and  Wayne.  It 
contains  the  northern  portion  of  the  fertile  Guyan  Valley  and  the  Mud 
River  Valley,  and  with  its  twenty  miles  of  rich  fertile  soil  bordering  on 
the  Ohio  River,  embraces  one  of  the  best  farming  and  stock  raising  dis- 
tricts in  the  State. 

The  early  settlers  were  attracted  to  this  spot  by  the  fertility  of  the 
soil  and  the  abundance  of  fine  timber  that  stood  along  its  navigable 
waters.  As  the  families  increased  in  number,  the  necessity  and  import- 


108  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 

ance  of  schools  began  to  be  considered.  There  is  no  record  to  show  when 
the  first  school  began  its  existence  in  what  is  now  Cabell  County.  As 
Cabell  was  of  the  territory  harassed  by  border  warfare,  hers  was  a 
dangerous  and  unsettled  condition  until  the  question  of  race  supremacy 
between  the  whites  and  Indians  was  settled  in  favor  of  the  whites  at 
the  memorable  battle  of  Fallen  Timbers,  on  August  2,  1795.  Social  and 
educational  life  in  Cabell,  or  what  later  became  Cabell  County,  may  be 
said  to  date  from  this  important  event. 

Up  to  the  time  of  the  establishment  of  the  free  school  system,  the 
facilities  for  elementary  education  consisted  of  schools  supported  by  pri- 
vate subscriptions.  The  few  school  houses,  scattered  about  over  the 
county,  were  rude  structures.  The  walls  were  built  of  unhewn  logs 
thatched  with  sticks  and  clay;  the  floors  were  laid  with  slabs  or  pun- 
cheon; the  chimneys,  occupying  a  greater  part  of  one  side  of  the  houses, 
were  built  of  sticks  and  mud.  For  windows,  a  part  of  one  or  more  logs 
was  cut  out,  allowing  the  light  to  enter  through  a  row  of  glass  one  or 
two  panes  deep,  or  through  strips  of  greased  paper  fastened  over  the  open- 
ing. The  furniture  consisted  of  benches  without  backs,  made  of  split 
slabs  brought  from  the  adjacent  woods.  To  say  the  least,  these  houses 
were  very  uncomfortable  and  inconvenient;  and  as  they  were  situated  so 
far  apart,  attendance  at  school  was  very  light  and  irregular. 

These  schools  were  presided  over  by  teachers  imported  from  Ohio, 
Pennsylvania  and  other  states,  who,  at  best,  possessed  only  the  rudiments 
of  an  education.  In  contracting  for  schools  they  would  obligate  them- 
selves to  teach  spelling,  reading,  writing  and  arithmetic  to  the  "double 
rule  of  three."  Notwithstanding  their  meager  attainments,  however, 
these  teachers  accomplished  a  good  work  in  preparing  the  people  for  the 
reception  of  the  free  school  system  which  was  to  come  during  the  un- 
settled period  of  Civil  War. 

Among  those  who  were  most  actively  engaged  in  the  pioneer  educa- 
tional work  of  the  county  may  be  named,  Robert  Coburn,  John  Coburn, 
E.  E.  Morrison,  Robert  Harbour  and  Chas.  Simpson.  Of  those  since  en- 
gaged in  the  upbuilding  and  development  of  the  schools  of  the  county, 
Wm.  Algoe,  C.  W.  Paine,  T.  B.  Summers,  Wm.  Bramlette,  Jno.  J.  Rousey, 
Geo.  Kaiser,  C.  K.  Thornburg,  Frank  Herndon,  L.  W.  Wilson,  Henderson 
Davis,  A.  H.  Melrose,  Henry  Lambert  and  R.  F.  Brammer  are  worthy  of 
mention.  For  the  purpose  of  government  and  to  meet  the  requirements 
of  the  act  of  December  10,  1863,  the  county  was  divided  into  five  super- 
visory districts,  which  number — changed  in  name  to  magisterial  districts 
— remains  the  same  today,  with  the  exception  of  the  independent  districts 
of  Barboursville,  Central  City,  Guyandotte  and  Huntington,  which  have 
since  been  created.  I  am  indebted  to  Mr.  T.  B.  Summers  for  information 
regarding  the  roster  of  County  Superintendents  in  their  order,  and  for 
some  statistics  of  his  administration  as  County  Superintendent. 

The  first  seven  of  these  were  non-political,  appointed  either  by  the 
county  court  or  the  Board  of  Supervisors.  The  first  four  were  the  sole  ex- 
aminers of  the  county. 


WEST  VIRGINIA.  109 

J.    M.    King    1866—1868      Geo.  R.  Blume  1886 — 1888 

T.    B.    Kline    1868—1870      J.  D.  Carter   1888—1890 

John  W.  Church    1870—1872      Henderson  Davis    1890—1894 

Wm.    Algoe 1872—1874      C.  W.  Paine 1894—1898 

D.    L.    Duncan    1874 — 1878     Jno.  J.  Rousey   1898 — 1902 

T.  B.  Summers  1878—1884      Ira  F.  Hatfield 1902— 

P.  M.  Malcolm    1884—1886 

The  Boards  of  Education  of  the  county  including  those  now  in  office 
are  to  be  commended  for  their  zeal  and  energy  displayed  in  providing 
comfortable  structures  for  the  housing  of  the  school  youth  of  the  county. 
These  at  present  are  nearly  all  modern  one-room  frame  buildings,  well 
lighted  and  ventilated,  furnished  with  patent  seats  and  desks;  but  many 
of  them  are  deficient  in  school  apparatus, — charts,  maps,  globes,  etc. 
These  creditable  school  houses,  together  with  the  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
four  live,  energetic  teachers  in  charge  of  them,  are  a  tribute  to  the  ad- 
vanced educational  sentiment  of  the  county. 

The  teachers'  institute  work  is  gradually  improving  as  the  desire  of 
teachers  for  higher  professional  standing  increases.  Our  county  insti- 
tutes are  the  central  point  of  interest  for  teachers  in  the  school  year,  so- 
cially and  educationally.  The  great  interest  displayed  in  these  institutes 
both  by  teachers  and  the  public  prove  them  to  be  in  high  favor  with  the 
people.  The  district  institute  and  teachers'  reading  circle  are  gaining 
ground  as  indispensable  factors  in  supplying  the  needs  of  the  district  and 
for  the  betterment  of  the  teaching  force  in  general. 

The  independent  district  of  Barboursville  was  established  February 
12,  1867.  The  Board  of  Education  has  the  same  powers  conferred  upon  it 
as  belong  to  Boards  of  Education  of  magisterial  districts,  thus  giving  it 
power  to  establish  a  high  or  graded  school,  as  provided  in  Sections  24 
and  26  of  the  school  law,  and  prescribe  branches  to  be  taught  and  a  course 
of  study  for  same.  The  school  has  lost  considerable  of  its  importance 
since  the  establishment  of  the  Barboursville  Seminary  in  1888,  but  in  re- 
cent years  interest  in  the  graded  school  has  revived.  Recently,  a  four- 
room  brick  building  has  been  erected  to  meet  the  demands  of  a  rapidly 
increasing  population,  which  is  now  scarcely  large  enough  to  accommo- 
date the  district. 

The  Milton  graded  school  has,  in  most  respects,  met  the  approval  of 
the  people  of  that  thriving  little  town  and  of  the  people  of  the  district  in 
general,  admirably  serving  its  purpose  in  the  regular  school  term  as  a 
graded  school  and  taking  its  place  later  as  a  spring  and  summer  normal. 
The  school  this  year  is  ably  managed  under  the  care  of  its  genial  and 
enterprising  principal  and  corps  of  teachers. 

Central  City  has  made  such  rapid  strides  toward  the  front  of  late,  in 
business  enterprise,  increased  population  and  in  school  affairs  that  it  is 
hard  to  keep  pace  with  her.  Her  schools  have  long  been  a  recognized 
force  in  the  -educational  affairs  of  the  county.  By  a  recent  act  of  the  Leg- 
islature Central  City  was  made  an  independent  district,  and  is  making 
good  use  of  the  new  opportunities  thus  afforded.  The  erection  recently  of 
a  splendid  four-room  brick  building,  with  a  spacious  auditorium  overhead, 
is  proof  of  her  growth  and  enterprise.  The  schools  have  reached  a  stage 


110  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 

under  the  supervision  of  Superintendent  G.  W.  Pilchard,  second  in  impor- 
tance only  to  those  of  Huntington. 

Guyandotte  is  one  of  our  oldest  towns.  Her  schools  have  been  open 
for  many  years,  making  slow  but  sure  progress  until  today  there  are  nine 
rooms  in  use,  including  the  colored  school.  These  are  now  crowded  so 
that  the  building  of  more  houses  is  becoming  imperative.  The  schools 
are  graded  and  classified,  the  pupils  receiving  all  the  benefits  of  a  graded 
course  of  instruction  and  high  school  advantages  combined.  The  schools 
are  at  present  doing  excellent  work  under  the  management  of  Professor 
H.  D.  Groves,  Principal. 

The  writer  in  closing  this  sketch,  feels  it  his  duty  to  pay  a  tribute 
of  respect  to  the  one  hundred  brave,  self-sacrificing  teachers  struggling 
against  wind  and  weather  and  the  many  adversities  attendant  upon  edu- 
cational endeavor  in  rural  districts.  They  are  the  ones  that  must  furnish 
enthusiasm  for  the  indifferent  patrons  and  stimulus  to  the  tardy  youth. 


Calhoun  County 

BY    WELLINGTON    LESTER,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

In  this  sketch,  it  is  proposed  to  give  only  a  brief  outline  narrative  of 
the  course  of  educational  affairs  of  the  territory  now  embraced  in  Cal- 
houn county  from  its  earliest  settlement  down  to  the  present  time;  and  in 
order  that  the  reader  may  have  the  best  position  from  which  to  view  the 
subject,  it  is  deemed  expedient  to  speak  first  briefly  of  the  territory  itself, 

THE     TERRITORY. 

Beginning  on  the  West  Fork  of  the  Little  Kanawha  river,  at  a  point 
about  one  mile  above  the  mouth  of  this  branch,  and  proceeding  up  the 
same,  this  stream  marks  the  southwestern  limits  of  Calhoun  county,  until 
we  reach  the  point  where  the  waters  of  Henry's  Fork  flow  into  the  West 
Fork,  when  the  boundary  line  leaves  the  West  Fork,  proper,  and  deflects 
to  the  south  and  follows  the  course  of  Henry's  Fork  to  the  mouth  of 
Beech  Fork,  and  thence  winding  among  the  hills,  with  a  small  bend  to  the 
south,  it  reaches  the  Clay  county  line  and  from  this  point  eastward  the 
county  is  bounded  on  the  south  by  Clay  and  Braxton.  The  entire  eastern 
boundary  is  fixed  by  the  Gilmer  county  line,  which  is  irregular  throughout 
its  extent  and  makes  one  long  bend  to  the  west,  thus  carrying  the  eastern 
limits  of  Calhoun  county  at  that  point  far  inward.  The  northern  limits 
are  fixed  by  the  boundary  lines  of  Wirt  and  Ritchie  counties. 

Within  the  boundary  above  set  out  is  contained  the  territory,  which 
was  stricken  from  Gilmer  county  and  in  the  year  1856,  took  upon  itself 
corporate  existence  under  the  name  of  the  county  of  Calhoun. 

In  the  northern  part,  the  Little  Kanawha  river,  in  its  devious  course 
from  east  to  west  for  more  than  thirty  miles,  its  waters  receiving 
many  tributaries,  winds  it  way  among  the  hills.  More  than  one-half 
of  the  territory  and  by  far  the  best  and  most  populous  portion  of 
the  county  lies  between  the  Little  Kanawha  river  and  the  West  Fork. 


WEST  VIRGINIA.  Ill 

EARLY     SETTLERS. 

The  first  settlers  for  the  most  part  took  up  their  abode  along  the  val- 
leys of  the  Little  Kanawha  and  the  West  Fork,  and  were  descendants  of 
the  pioneers  of  Virginia.  Like  their  progenitors,  they  were  daring  and 
enterprising. 

THE  VALLEY   OF   THE  WEST   FORK. 

In  the  fertile  regions  of  the  Valley  of  the  West  Fork,  the  settlers  were 
so  few  and  far  removed  from  each  other  that  for  awhile  schools  were  im- 
practicable and  the  education  of  the  children  was  such  as  they  received  at 
their  homes  under  the  instruction  of  their  parents,  and  such  persons  as 
occasionally  sojourned  among  them.  It  was  not  until  about  the  year 
1840  that  an  attempt  was  made  to  teach  a  school  in  that  section.  Charles 
Arnold,  John  Shed,  Charles  Preston  and  Amie  Silcott  were  among  the  ear- 
ly teachers  of  this  part  of  the  county. 

THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  LITTLE  KANAWHA. 

What  has  been  said  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  West  Fork  valley  is 
also  applicable  to  the  early  settlers  along  the  Little  Kanawha,  a  neighbor- 
hood consisting  of  only  a  few  families.  The  first  assembly  of  pupils  within 
the  territory  of  Calhoun  county  that  could  be  called  a  school  was  taught 
near  the  neck  of  the  Big  Bend  in  the  winter  of  1828  in  a  small  log  cabin 
seated  with  rude  benches  and  lighted  by  means  of  greased  paper  windows. 
Ephriam  Siers  was  the  teacher. 

THE   EARLY    SCHOOLS    AND    TEACHERS. 

The  early  schools  were  taught  as  follows:  In  the  Hardman  Bend  in 
1838  by  Daniel  Hill;  In  1840  on  Pine  Creek,  by  Fielden  A.  Knight;  and  in 
the  same  year  on  the  south  bank  of  the  river,  just  above  Grantsville,  by 
Harrison  Cunningham;  in  1841  on  Pine  Creek,  near  Stevens  schoolhouse, 
by  Wm.  Bennett;  and  at  the  same  place  in  1842  by  Augusta  C.  Modesit; 
and  in  1843  by  Rev.  John  Bennett.  From  1843  to  1850  several  terms  were 
taught  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  about  three  miles  above  Grantsville, 
by  Rev.  Jonathan  Smith.  In  1847  a  school  was  conducted  on  Big  Root  by 
Elizabeth  Betts;  and  one  on  Yellow  Creek  in  1853,  by  Harrison  R.  Ferrell. 
Cal  Kessinger,  Anne  Betts,  John  Woodford,  Joab  Wolverton  and  Anna 
Campbell  may  also  be  mentioned  as  early  teachers  in  this  section.  All  of 
the  pioneers  of  education,  whom  I  have  mentioned,  have  long  since  gone 
to  their  final  account. 

About  the  year  1860,  the  public  mind  became  centered  upon  the  great 
struggle,  then  imminent  betwen  the  North  and  the  South.  This  was  the 
all  absorbing  question  of  the  day  and  the  thought  that  otherwise  might 
have  been  given  to  the  cause  of  education  was  now  diverted  to  internal 
strife;  what  little  order  had  developed  was  suspended.  During  the  entire 
period  of  the  war  and  for  more  than  a  year  after  its  close,  there  was  only 
a  fitful  bestowal  of  the  distracted  public  mind  upon  the  cause  of  education. 

The  Free  School  System  did  not  go  into  operation  in  this  county  until 
the  estrangements  engendered  by  civil  strife  had  in  a  measure  passed  away. 
Until  this  time,  all  schools  had  been  taught  under  the  private  subscription 


112  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 

plan,  and  of  course  the  pay  of  the  teacher  was  limited.  The  teacher 
would  often  board  and  lodge  among  the  patrons  of  the  school  and  was  not 
expected  to  pay  for  his  "keep." 

COURSE  AND  EXTENT  OF  INSTRUCTION. 

The  subjects,  usually  taught  in  those  early  schools  were  spelling,  read- 
ing, writing  and  arithmetic,  and  in  some  of  the  later  ones,  geography  and 
grammar.  Much  of  the  time  and  energy  of  the  pupils  was  devoted  to  the 
subject  of  spelling.  Reading  was  taught  with  a  special  effort  to  secure 
a  loud  and  distinct  utterance.  Writing  was  required  to  be  done  by  the  use 
of  pens,  made  from  the  large  feathers  of  birds,  and  ink  was  often  made 
from  walnut  bark,  maple  bark  and  indigo;  arithmetic  was  the  only 
mathematics  taught  and  one  who  could  instruct  the  pupils  therein,  as  far  as 
the  double  rule  of  three,  compound  proportion,  was  regarded  as  well  equip- 
ped for  teaching  that  subject.  Geography  and  grammar  were  probably  the 
least  understood  and  most  poorly  taught  subjects  in  the  schools  of  this 
period. 

A    NEW    ERA. 

A  new  era  in  the  educational  affairs  of  the  county  began  with  the 
coming  of  the  Free  School  System.  After  the  close  of  the  Civil  War,  the 
old  order  of  things  completely  gave  way  to  the  new.  The  Constitution  of 
1872,  placed  the  schools  under  the  general  supervision  of  a  State  Super- 
intendent and  the  Legislature  was  given  power  to  provide  for  County 
Superintendents,  who  should  have  a  limited  control  of  the  school  affairs 
of  the  county,  and  whose  term  of  office  was  at  first  two  years;  but  was 
later  lengthened  to  four  years. 

COUNTY   SUPERINTENDENTS. 

Calhoun  county  has  had  the  following  County  Superintendents  of  Free 
Schools: 

John   Bennett    1866—1868        L.  H.   Trippett   1882—1884 

Alexander   Rice    1868—1870        William   Metz    1884—1886 

David  Knight    1870—1872:        James  E.  Ferrell    1886—1888 

Patrick  Bruffy  1872—1874.        E.  Chenoweth   1888—1890 

J.  P.  Knight    1874—1876        Bruce  Ferrell    1890—1892 

R.  W.  Hall  1876—1878        Bee  Hopkins   1892—1894 

French   M.   Ferrell    1878—1880        John  H.  Roberts   1894—1898 

Daniel   Sturm    .  ..1880—1882        Wellington  Lester   1898—1907 


Grant  County 

BY    J.    L.    REXROAD,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

Grant  county,  named  in  honor  of  General  Grant,  was  formed  from  the 
county  of  Hardy  in  1866.  It  is  situated  in  the  eastern  panhandle  of  the 
State  and  surrounded  by  the  counties  of  Mineral,  Hardy,  Pendleton  and 
Tucker.  It  includes  that  portion  of  the  South  Branch  Valley  in  and  about 


WEST  VIRGINIA.  113 

Petersburg,  the  soil  of  which  is  very  fertile  and  well  adapted  to  corn  and 
wheat  growing.  To  it  also  belongs  that  part  of  the  Alleghenies  from  Min- 
eral to  Tucker  county,  which  is  covered  with  fine  timber,  among  which  is 
the  famous  maple  sugar,  which  brings  to  the  farmers  a  considerable  rev- 
enue. The  surface  of  this  region  is  underlaid  with  coal.  It  contains  the 
new  mines  at  Henry,  Bayard  and  other  points. 

As  to  the  educational  position  and  development  of  the  county,  we  feel 
that  rapid  progress  has  been  made,  and  we  believe  it  will  compare  fa- 
vorably with  other  counties  of  equal  advantages. 

The  first  free  schools  of  Grant  county  came  into  existence  with  the 
organization  of  the  county,  numbering  the  first  year  fifteen  or  twenty. 
They  were  taught  principally  in  log  houses  with  a  space  between  floor 
and  ceiling  of  little  mor.e  than  six  feet.  They  were  built  upon  the  theory, 
"The  smaller  the  space  the  easier  to  warm."  Since  then  the  number  of 
schools  has  increased  to  about  seventy,  the  majority  of  which  are  roomy 
and  comfortable. 

For  the  great  improvement  in  school  buildings  and  furniture  in  Grant 
county  perhaps  no  man  in  the  county  deserves  more  credit  than  Edward 
F.  Vossler,  who  was  born  and  educated  in  Germany,  and  located  in  Grant 
county  in  his  early  life.  He  was  the  first  superintendent  of  the  county, 
and  has  ever  since  been  in  some  way  connected  with  the  public  schools. 
As  a  member  of  the  First  Free  School  Legislature  under  the  new  consti- 
tution he  was  chosen  on  a  sub-committee  with  State  Superintendent  W.  K. 
Pendleton  to  frame  the  Free  School  Law  of  1873. 

Of  the  superintendents  who  followed  were  Wm.  M.  Davis,  from  1879  to 
1885;  J.  C.  Judy,  from  1885  to  1889;  H.  W.  Kuhn,  from  1889  to  1891,  and 
J.  L.  Rexroad,  the  present  superintendent,  who  has  served  in  the  office  since 
1891.  Under  the  latter's  supervision  about  thirty  new  houses  have  been 
built,  nearly  all  of  which  have  been  furnished  with  modern  desks  and  a 
moderate  supply  of  apparatus. 

The  examinations  for  teachers  for  a  number  of  years  prior  to  the 
Uniform  System  were  rigid,  and  a  scarcity  of  teachers  resulted.  The 
motto  of  the  examiners  was,  "Better  be  a  little  short  than  have  a  sur- 
plus of  inferior  teachers." 

The  first  year's  uniform  examination  did  not  diminish  the  roll  of 
teachers  in  the  county.  At  the  close  of  the  examinations  for  the  first  year 
under  the  uniform  system,  no  applicant  failed,  and  no  teacher  was  turned 
away  with  a  lower  grade  than  formerly  held  under  the  county  board. 

The  school  system  of  the  county  is  in  fairly  good  condition  and  there 
is  a  growing  sentiment  toward  a  longer  school  term  and  better  teachers' 
wages. 


Hancock  County 


BY    T.    M.    COCHRAN,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

The  writer  has  been  unable  to  ascertain  just  when  the  first  school  was 


114  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 

established  in  the  territory  now  included  in  Hancock  county,  but  it  is 
certain  that  schools  were  taught  at  least  a  century  ago. 

Most  of  the  schools  of  that  period  were  kept  by  Irish  masters,  the 
opinion  prevailing  that«no  one  but  an  Irishman  could  teach  school.  We 
are  told  that  some  of  them  were  sadly  deficient  in  learning  and  most  of 
them  ever-fond  of  strong  drink. 

Prior  to  the  organization  of  West  Virginia  as  a  separate  State  there 
were  no  free  schools  in  the  county,  although  an  effort  was  made  in  1852 
to  establish  free  schools  under  a  sort  of  local  option  law  passed  a  short 
time  before  by  the  Legislature  of  Virginia.  J.  H.  Atkinson  canvassed  the 
county  in  the  interest  of  free  schools,  but  when  the  votes  were  counted 
they  came  a  little  short  of  the  required  three-fourths  majority. 

Among  the  earlier  teachers  in  the  county  was  J.  H.  Atkinson,  who  for 
several  years  taught  a  subscription  school  in  what  was  known  as  the 
academy  building  in  Hollidays  Cove.  Mr.  Atkinson  was  afterward  chair- 
man of  the  Senate  Committee  on  Education  in  the  first  Legislature  of 
West  Virginia  and  drafted  the  first  free  school  bill  and  was  largely  instru- 
mental in  its  passage.  Mr.  Atkinson  was  a  life-long  resident  of  New 
Cumberland,  where  for  a  number  of  years  he  was  a  manufacturer  of  fire 
clay  products,  and  afterward  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law.  During 
his  long  life  of  eighty-five  years  Mr.  Atkinson  took  an  active  interest  in 
educational  progress  and  was  a  familiar  figure  at  teachers'  institutes.  He 
died  January  3,  1906. 

Thomas  Bambrick  taught  school  in  Fairview  seventy-five  years  ago  and 
several  of  his  descendants  are  among  our  best  teachers  of  to-day. 

Free  schools  were  opened  as  soon  as  the  law  establishing  free  schools 
became  effective,  and  they  have  made  rapid  progress;  always  maintaining 
a  high  standard  of  qualification  for  teachers  and  paying  as  good  salaries 
as  were  to  be  had  anywhere  in  the  State. 

At  the  present  time  we  have  24  school  buildings  in  good  condition  and 
fairly  well  equipped  with  apparatus.  The  graded  and  high  school  in  New 
Cumberland,  established  in  1893,  employs  eleven  teachers.  The  graded 
and  high  school  of  Chester,  established  in  1903,  employs  14  teachers. 
The  graded  and  high  school  of  Hollidays  Cove,  established  in  1901,  em- 
ploys three  teachers. 

There  is  a  graded  school  at  Fairview,  employing  three  teachers,  and 
Poe  District,  of  which  Fairview  is  the  center,  is  considering  the  con- 
solidation of  the  four  schools  of  the  district. 

Our  rural  schools  pay  salaries  for  teachers  holding  certificates  of  No. 
one  grade,  ranging  in  amount  from  forty-five  to  fifty  dollars,  and  there  are 
twenty-three  teachers  employed  in  the  rural  schools. 

In  1898  Rev.  J.  D.  Hull  purchased  the  old  court  house  at  Fairview, 
transformed  it  into  a  beautiful  little  school  building  and  established  the 
Tri-State  Normal  and  Business  College.  The  school  enjoyed  several  pros- 
perous years,  but  has  been  closed  since  June,  1903.  At  present  there  is 
not  a  private  school  of  any  kind  in  the  county. 


WEST  VIRGINIA.  115 

Hardy  County 

L.    S.    HALTEBMAN,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

Hardy  Count}',  named  for  Samuel  Hardy,  wa&  formed  from  a  portion 
of  Hampshire  county,  178G,  and  has  an  area  of  450  square  miles.  It  is 
diversified  with  mountains  and  hills,  valleys,  coves  and  dales,  making 
scenery  hardly  surpassed  in  picturesqueness.  The  soil  is  more  or  less 
adapted  to  farming,  grazing  and  fruit  growing. 

The  county  is  divided  by  the  South  Branch  mountains  into  two  main 
sections,  of  which  the  western  is  traversed  by  the  beautiful  South  Branch 
Valley,  whose  fertility  is  known  far  and  wide;  and  because  of  its  accessi- 
bility, its  attractiveness  and  its  adaptability,  was  early  settled.  Moore- 
field  and  Sourth  Fork  districts  are  within  its  limits. 

The  eastern  section  embraces  Capon  and  Lost  River  districts,  and  like 
the  South  Branch  Valley,  was  early  occupied  by  settlers  from  the  Shen- 
andoah  Valley,  chiefly,  who  were  mostly  Holland  Dutch.  Germans, 
Scotch  and  Irish  were  much  in  evidence  also,  especially  in  the  South 
Branch  Valley;  the  very  name  of  these  suggests  honesty,  industry  and 
thrift. 

The  northeastern  portion  of  the  eastern  section  is  drained  by  Capon 
River,  which  is  simply  Lost  River  found  on  a  larger  scale.  Wardensville 
is  the  business  center  of  this  pretty  little  valley  of  farming  and  grazing 
lands. 

Lost  River  Valley  lies  wholly  within  the  borders  of  the  eastern  sec- 
tion. The  river  is  not  lost  at  all  times  as  many  suppose,  but  only  when 
its  waters  are  low,  does  it  disappear  gradually  in  its  sandy  bed,  to  find 
its  way  under  what  is  called  Sandy  Ridge — to  come  forth  the  head 
waters  of  Capon  River.  Its  channel,  when  above  low  water  mark,  is 
around  Sandy  Ridge,  or  through  a  gap  in  the  same. 

Owing  to  a  lack  of  school  records  it  is  impossible  to  give  an  accurate 
early,  or  even  later,  history  of  education  since  the  introduction  of  the 
Free  School  System;  but  it  is  a  well  known  fact  that  subscription  schogls 
existed  prior  to  this.  Of  course,  the  first  schoolhouses  were  log  struc- 
tures, small,  ill-lighted  and  ventilated,  supplied  with  the  worst  of  seats 
and  without  apparatus.  But  there  has  been  a  gradual  development  in 
almost  every  particular;  larger  and  more  substantial  buildings  have  been 
and  are  being  erected,  with  better  equipment.  Patent  desks  are  taking 
tne  place  of  home-made  ones,  and  it  is  only  a  question  of  a  few  years  un- 
til some  of  our  districts  will  be  wholly  supplied  with  this  improvement. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  we  have  low  salaries — though  not  so 
low  as  one  would  at  first  suppose,  living  being  cheap — the  average  effi- 
ciency of  the  teachers  is  increasing,  and  popular  education  it  becoming 
more  general. 

Many  of  the  schools  have  established  small  libraries  during  the  past 
two  years,  and  the  outlook  for  the  coming  year  is  promising.  Consider- 
able attention  is  being  given  by  our  teachers  to  the  matter  of  school 
improvement-cleaning  grounds,  decorating  walls,  etc. 

Capon  and  Lost  River  districts  are  not  financially  able  to  accomplish 


116  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 

what  is  desired,  and  Moorefield  and  South  Fork  districts,  though  wealthy, 
do  not  foster  popular  education  as  they  should  and  could  do. 
We  hope  for  better  conditions,  and  will  work  accordingly. 


Harrison  County 

BY  L.   WAYMAN   OGDEN,   SUPERINTENDENT. 

In  1865,  the  free  schools  began  in  Harrison  County.  There  were 
about  sixty-five  schools  taught  that  winter  throughout  the  County.  The 
term  was  three  months  and  the  salaries  paid  teachers  were  low.  The 
first  frame  school  house  was  built  on  Sycamore  Creek  near  West  Milford 
in  Union  District.  The  school  records  were  kept  and  carried  about  in 
a  meal  sack  by  each  County  Superintendent  until  James  N.  David's  term 
of  office.  Mr.  David  transferred  them  to  his  successor  in  a  box;  now 
they  are  kept  in  an  office  provided  by  the  County  at  the  Court  House. 

In  the  early  days  of  free  schools,  teachers  went  to  the  County  Super- 
intendent and  after  being  asked  a  few  questions  by  him  were  given  a 
certificate.  These  grades  ranged  from  Nos.  1  to  5. 

The  following  persons  have  served  .as  County  Superintendents : 

1865-67,  Dr.   Emory,   Strickler. 

1867-69,  Dr.  Wm.  Meigs   (deceased). 

1869-71,  Dr.  D.  C.   Louchery. 

1871-73,    Cruger    W.    Smith. 

1873-81,    James    R.    Adams. 

1881-85,  James  N.  David. 

1885-89,  Jasper  S.  Kyle. 

1889-93,  F.  M.  Harbert. 

1893-95,  Joseph  Rosier. 

1895-99,   James   E.   Law. 

1899-03,  Morton  B.  Newlon. 

1903-07,  L.  Wayman  Ogden. 

1907,  Cyrus  E.  Webb  (elect). 

The  first  County  Institute  was  held  at  Lost  Creek  by  Superintendent 
Dr.  Emory  Strickler.  This  institute  was  conducted  by  Rev.  A.  H.  Lewis 
of  Shiloh,  New  Jersey.  A  County  Institute  was  held  each  following  year 
by  the  County  Superintendent  and  teachers  until  the  institute  law  went 
into  effect  in  1879  in  which  the  State  Superintendent  acts  as  the  offi- 
cial head  in  appointing  instructors  for  each  County. 

Before  the  adoption  of  the  institute  law,  in  1879,  there  was  a  regular 
organization  known  as  the  Harrison  County  Teachers'  Association.  Many 
of  the  early  teachers  of  the  County  were  graduates  of  academies  and  col- 
leges. They  set  a  high  standard  for  teachers.  Those  persons  most 
active  in  carrying  on  the  Teachers'  Association  were  E.  M.  Turner,  J. 
R.  Adams,  C.  W.  Lynch,  James  N.  David,  D.  C.  Louchery,  B.  F.  Martin, 
P.  N.  Miller  (deceased),  Mrs.  Naomi  Everett,  and  Miss  Belle  Davidson. 
Most  of  the  early  teachers  were  men. 

In  1871,  J.  W.  Young,  J.  W.  Samples,  R.  A.  Douglass,  and  James  N. 


WEST  VIRGINIA.  117 

David,  teachers  of  Elk  District,  met  at  Homines'  Mills  and  held  a  District 
Institute.  It  was  composed  of  only  the  four  teachers  named  at  first, 
but  it  became  very  popular  before  the  winter  was  over  and  many  teach- 
ers and  others  interested  in  education  attended  these  meetings. 

The  average  salary  for  first  grade  certificates  is  forty-five  dollars  per 
month.  We  have  an  excellent  corps  of  teachers  who  are  establishing 
libraries,  improving  the  school  grounds  and  helping  to  keep  our  educa- 
tional development  in  line  with  our  great  material  development. 

The  County  schools  were  excellent  in  their  beginning  and  they 
have  marched  steadily  onward  and  their  effect  is  noticeable  upon  the 
schools  of  the  County  to-day.  They  have  grown  in  numbers  from  sixty- 
five  to  two  hundred  and  sixty;  in  length  of  term  from  three  to  six 
months,  and  in  addition  to  the  magisterial  districts,  we  have  a  number 
of  independent  districts  that  have  a  term  of  eight  and  nine  months.  A 
number  of  graded  schools  have  recently  been  established  and  Clay  Dis- 
trict voted  at  the  election  in  November,  1906,  to  establish  a  High  School 
at  Shinnston.  This  makes  four  High  Schools  in  the  County. 

Many  new  school  buildings  have  been  erected  in  the  County  within 
the  past  few  years.  Two  excellent  ward  schools  have  just  been  com- 
pleted in  Clarksburg  and  the  contract  has  been  let  for  the  erection  of  an 
eight-room  brick  building  at  Adamston. 


Kanawha  County 

BY    M.    H.    EPLIN,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

Kanawha  county  was  a  strong  free  school  county.  There  were  some 
good  schools  at  Charleston  as  early  as  1818.  About  the  year  1829,  Colonel 
David  Ruffner  donated  a  lot  in  Charleston  for  a  church  and  an  academy, 
and  contributed  to  the  erection  of  suitable  buildings. 

This  county  along  with  other  counties,  was  named  in  the  special  act 
passed  February  25,  1845,  to  establish  free  schools  in  certain  counties,  and 
adopted  the  act  in  1847.  In  obedience  to  the  strong  free  school  sentiment 
prevailing  in  this  county,  its  representative  in  the  Legislature,  Dr.  Spicer 
Patrick,  took  an  active  part  in  securing  the  passage  of  the  act  afterwards 
adopted  by  this  county. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  Kanawha  county  had  taken  a  leading 
part  in  the  movement  for  the  establishment  of  free  schools,  and  had 
adopted  the  act  by  more  than  two-thirds  of  the  vote  of  all  qualified  voters 
in  the  county,  before  it  could  be  put  into  operation,  strong  opposition  by 
large  property  owners  must  be  met  and  overcome.  In  1853  the  firm  of 
Dickinson  and  Shrewsbury  brought  suit  against  James  H.  Fry,  the  sheriff 
of  the  county,  who  had  levied  on  the  property  belonging  to  this  firm  to 
secure  the  payment  of  school  tax  due  from  it  to  the  amount  of  $350.82. 
The  suit  was  decided  in  favor  of  the  sheriff. 

Kanawha  county  is  divided  into  ten  school  districts,  a  description  of 
each  of  which  will  be  found  below,  commencing  with  the  earliest  days 


118  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION. 

of  the  educational  facilities  in  the  county  and  extending  up  to  the  present 
day. 

LOUDOX    DISTRICT. 

The  territory,  which  was  laid  off  on  the  south  side  of  Kanawha  river 
opposite  Charleston  some  time  after  the  war  for  a  magisterial  and  school 
district,  is  now  London  District.  In  that  territory  there  were,  or  had  been, 
fine  old  log  school  houses.  At  Browns  town,  which  is  now  Marmet,  the  old 
log  school  house  had  rotted  down,  and  the  first  school  taught  there  after 
the  war  was  in  the  Southern  Methodist  Church. 

There  are  now  in  London  Disctrict  a  three-room,  graded  school  at 
Marmet;  a  four-room,  graded  school  at  Fernbank;  a  two-room  building  at 
Kanawha  City;  and  a  two-room  building  at  Lick  Branch. 

There  are  thirty-three  school  rooms  in  the  District,  and  they  are  fairly 
well  furnished  with  patent  desk  seats,  blackboards,  maps,  charts  and 
globes.  Total  value  of  school  property,  $27,293. 

WASHINGTON    DISTRICT. 

In  1865  Washington  District  had  three  log  school  houses,  two  of  them 
being  15  feet  by  16  feet  by  7  feet  high,  built  of  round  logs,  a  board  roof 
held  on  with  weight  poles,  chimney  built  of  sticks  and  mud,  and  a  fire  place 
five  feet  wide.  There  was  one  writing  bench  ten  feet  long,  and  a  log  was 
sawed  out  of  the  side  of  the  building  to  give  light,  the  writing  bench  being 
used  as  a  shutter  for  the  opening  in  cold  weather.  One  school  house  was 
built  of  hewn  logs  with  two  glass  windows,  which  was  considered  a  model 
school  house  at  that  time.  It  was  built  in  1839,  and  is  now  occupied  as  a 
dwelling  house  by  S.  Pickens.  The  house  is  fairly  well  preserved. 

Washington  District,  the  smallest  in  population,  now  has  twelve  good 
frame  school   buildings,  furnished  with   patent   desk  seats,   blackboards,  „ 
maps,  charts  and  dictionaries.    Total  value  of  school  property,  $5,322. 

JEFFERSON  DISTRICT. 

Steven  Thomas  Teays,  of  St.  Albans,  gave  the  following  sketch  showing 
how  they  did  things  when  he  was  a  school  boy.  The  people  were  almost  all 
Methodists  in  that  community,  and  built  a  beech  log  house  40x60  feet,  and 
used  it  for  a  church  and  school  house.  Mr.  Teays  remembered  seeing 
more  than  a  hundred  horses  hitched  near  the  old  beech  church  on  various 
occasions.  The  people  came  from  Elk  river,  Coal  river,  and  from  up  and 
down  the  Kanawha  river,  and  took  part  in  old-iashioned  Methodist  meet- 
ings. 

Mrs.  Joplin  taught  the  first  school  in  the  old  beech  church  in  1845, 
and  also  taught  in  1846  and  1847.  A  teacher,  whose  name  was  Kirkum, 
taught  in  1848.  During  that  year,  Teays,  then  a  boy  of  ten  years  of  age, 
full  of  fun,  to  vary  the  monotony  of  a  dreary  school  day,  blew  the  ashes  off 
the  top  of  the  wood  stove  into  the  eyes  of  a  boy  schoolmate,  who  yelled 
considerably,  and  under  the  excitement,  the  teacher  seized  a  piece  of  stove 
wood  and  struck  Teays  a  blow  on  the  head,  which  disabled  him  for  some 
time.  The  teacher  started  for  parts  unknown,  and  has  not  yet  returned. 
Steve's  father  was  away  at  the  time,  but  his  uncle  got  his  gun  and 
started  after  the  teacher,  but  the  uncle  soon  found  that  he  could  not 


WEST  VIRGINIA  119 

carry  a  gun  and  catch  a  scared  teacher  who  had  no  gun  to  carry.  Mr. 
Teays  is  one  of  the  many  good  citizens  of  St.  Albans,  and  is  engaged  in 
the  mercantile  business.  He  still  carries  the  scar  made  by  the  teacher 
Kirkum. 

There  have  been  great  developments  in  Jefferson  District  since  the 
days  of  the  old  church  school  house.  There  are  twenty-five  frame  school 
rooms  in  Jefferson  District  at  this  time,  and  all  are  furnished  with 
patent  desk  seats,  charts,  maps  and  globes. 

The  school  building  at  Fairview  is  a  foiir-room  frame  house,  well 
arranged  and  well  ventilated.  Four  teachers  are  employed  and  there  are 
118  pupils  enrolled. 

Total  valuation  of  the  school  property  in  the  District  is  $10,670. 

ST.    ALBANS    INDEPENDENT    DISTRICT. 

The  school  building  in  the  Independent  District  of  St.  Albans  is  a 
splendid  four-room  building,  with  basement  and  steam  heaters.  Four 
teachers  are  employed,  and  there  are  166  pupils  enrolled. 

Total  valuation  of  school  property  is  $11,510. 

CHARLESTON    DISTRICT. 

Charleston  District  is  one  of  the  smallest  in  territory,  and  is  back 
of  the  city  of  Charleston.  There  are  twelve  school  buildings  in  the  Dis- 
trict, two  of  which  are  frame  buildings  with  four  rooms;  one  building 
with  two  rooms,  and  eight  one-room  buildings.  The  buildings  are  fairly 
well  supplied  with  desk  seats  and  other  fixtures. 

The  total  value  of  school  property  in  the  District  is  $15,900. 

BIG    SANDY    DISTRICT. 

Big  Sandy  District  has  seventeen  frame  buildings,  furnished  with 
patent  desk  seats  and  other  fixtures. 

The  total  value  of  school  property  in  the  District  is  $6,700. 

ELK    DISTRICT. 

Elk  District  has  thirty-one  frame  school  buildings,  furnished  with 
patent  desk  seats,  maps,  charts  and  globes;  and  also  has  two  rooms  rent- 
ed this  year. 

The  total  value  of  school  property  in  the  District  is  $15,599. 

MALDEN    DISTRICT. 

Maiden  District  has  seventeen  frame  school  buildings,  with  twenty 
rooms,  and  one  room  rented.  The  school  rooms  are  fairly  well  furnished 
with  patent  desk  seats,  maps,  charts  and  globes. 

The  total  valuation  of  school  property  in  the  district  is  $11,265. 

UNION    DISTRICT. 

Union  District  has  twenty-two  frame  school  buildings,  furnished 
with  patent  desk  seats  and  other  fixtures.  Union  is  a  farming  district, 
and  the  people,  seem  to  take  considerable  interest  in  the  school  work  of 
their  district. 

The  school  property  of  Union  District  is  valued  at  $8,860. 


120  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

POCA  DISTRICT. 

Poca  District  has  twenty-four  frame  school  biuldings,  furnished  with 
patent  desk  seats  and  other  fixtures. 

The  school  property  of  the  district  has  a  valuation  of  $6,070. 

The  teachers  of  Poca  District  met  at  Sissonsville,  October  31,  1903, 
and  organized  a  very  interesting  teachers'  district  institute.  The  school 
work  of  the  District  is  progressing  very  well. 

CABIN    CREEK    DISTRICT. 

Cabin  Creek  District  is  the  largest  in  territory  and  population  in  the 
county.  It  has  a  larger  number  of  pupils  enrolled  than  twenty-three  of  the 
counties.  There  are  one  hundred  and  eighteen  teachers  employed  in  the 
district,  and  there  is  a  growing  demand  for  more  school  houses  and  more 
teachers. 

Mr.  Adam  Schlaegel  is  the  efficient  secretary  of  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion and  devotes  his  entire  attention  to  his  work  during  the  time  the 
schools  are  in  session.  The  school  property  of  the  District  is  valued  at 
$61,105. 


Lincoln  County. 

BY    W.    C.    HOLSTEIN,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

Lincoln  County  was  named  in  honor  of  the  illustribus  Lincoln  and 
was  formed  in  1867  from  the  counties  of  Kanawha.  Cabell,  Putnam  and 
Boone.  At  that  time  we  had  very  few  teachers.  Schools  were  few  and 
far  apart,  a  large  per  cent  of  the  teachers  were  from  other  counties,  and 
some  were  from  other  states. 

The  pioneer  teachers  of  Lincoln  County  served  their  purpose  for  that 
time,  but  their  qualifications  would  not  do  for  the  present.  However, 
we  had  some  teachers,  who  taught  a  few  of  the  branches  very  well.  The 
old  "blue-backed  spelling  book"  and  the  old  series  of  McGuffey's  Readers 
were  the  principal  text-books  then  used. 

The  school  houses  of  that  day  were  not  supplied  with  any  kind  of 
apparatus — there  were  no  maps,  charts,  blackboards  or  any  thing  else 
which  might  aid  the  teacher  in  giving  "busy  work"  for  his  pupils. 

Some  of  the  teachers  opened  their  schools  by  reading  a  chapter 
from  the  Bible  or  New  Testament.  This  was  followed  by  the  reading 
of  the  rules,  and  the  pupils  who  violated  them  had  to  suffer  the  penalty 
of  the  "rod,"  which  was  always  a  conspicuous  article  in  the  school  room. 
The  school  houses  were  rude  and  built  of  logs;  sometimes  schools  were 
taught  in  other  buildings.  The  first  school  the  writer  of  this  sketch  ever 
attended  was  taught  in  an  old  log  church  house.  A  chimney  stood  at 
one  end  of  the  building  and  a  box  pulpit  was  at  one  side.  The  seats 
were  benches  made  from  two-inch  lumber  and  were  without  backs.  When 
meetings  were  held  at  night  the  house  was  lighted  by  tallow  candles. 

Where  the  old  log  church  house  stood  there  stands  to-day  a  beautiful 
church  building,  and  when  "evening  service"  is  held,  instead  of  the  tal- 


WEST  VIRGINIA  121 

low  candles,  chandeliers  and  lamps  light  the  room.  A  select  school  was 
taught  last  Summer  in  the  new  church  building  by  two  of  Lincoln  Coun- 
ty's best  teachers.  Thus  we  see  what  educational  progress  means.  It 
means  better  church  houses  as  well  as  better  school  houses;  better 
homes,  and  a  better  citizenship. 

Though  the  old  log  school  house  will  soon  be  a  thing  of  the  past, 
there  are  still  fifteen  of  these  houses  in  Lincoln  County.  These  are  as 
rapidly  as  possible  being  replaced  by  frame  buildings,  of  which  we  now 
have  ninety-three.  A  very  good  three-room  school  building  is  located  at 
Hamlin,  and  a  two  room  building  at  Grifflthsville. 

The  educational  progress  of  a  county  depends  somewhat  upon  the 
amount  of  taxable  property  it  contains,  and  as  Lincoln  County  is  not  a 
county  of  wealth  her  educational  progress  has  been  hindered.  However, 
the  value  of  her  taxable  property  is  gradually  increasing. 

In  1897  the  total  enumeration  of  the  county  was  5,176  and  the  amount 
available  from  the  General  School  Fund  was  $6,650.65.  In  1906  the  total 
enumeration  was  6,383  and  the  amount  derived  from  the  General  School 
Fund  was  $13,757.20. 

There  are  about  1,300  books  in  the  school  libraries  of  the  county, 
but  the  Board  of  Education  of  Carroll  District  bought  1,160  of  these, 
leaving  140  in  two  other  districts  which  have  libraries. 

The  Uniform  System  of  Examinations  has  been  a  little  hard  on 
Lincoln  County  teachers,  but  it  receives  their  hearty  endorsement.  There 
are  now  in  the  county  nineteen  male  teachers  holding  first  grade  certifi- 
cates; nineteen  second  grade,  and  nine  third  grade.  The  total  number  of 
male  teachers  is  forty-seven.  There  are  six  female  teachers  holding  first 
grade  certificates;  thirty-seven,  second  grade,  and  nineteen,  third  grade. 
The  total  number  of  female  teachers  is  sixty-two.  The  total  number  of 
male  and  female  teachers  is  one  hundred  and  nine. 

The  average  salary  of  teachers  per  month  is  now;  for  first  grade 
certificates,  $37.25;  for  second  grade,  $31.50;  for  third  grade,  $26.28. 

Twenty  years  ago  the  average  salary  for  first  grade  certificates  was 
about  $25.00  per  month  and  we  had  to  teach  twenty-two  days  for  a 
month. 

We  realize  that  we  are  making  progress,  and  we  feel  the  necessity  of 
mental  training  for  our  boys  and  girls;  but  we  know  that  it  is  of  greater 
importance  to  train  their  will-power  in  the  right  direction. 


Marion    County. 

BY    CARTER   L.    FAUST,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

Marion  County  is  doing  her  full  share  in  the  noble  effort  of  the  State 
to  provide  for  the  free  education  of  the  whole  people.  Her  244  teachers 
are  progressive  and  show  a  desire  to  bring  credit  upon  their  profession 
by  improving  the  work  of  the  schools. 

The   county  has   151   school   buildings.     The  old   buildings   are   fast 


122  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION* 

being  replaced  by  attractive  modern  houses.  There  are  32  buildings  in 
which  are  employed  two  or  more  teachers.  At  Seven  Pines,  in  Manning- 
ton  District,  the  Board  of  Education,  in  harmony  with  the  tendency  of 
the  times,  has  consolidated  the  schools  of  three  sub-districts  into  one 
graded  school.  This  is  the  first  consolidated  country  school  in  West  Vir- 
ginia. Mannington  District  employs  a  District  Superintendent  who  de- 
votes his  entire  time  to  the  supervision  of  the  district  schools. 

According  to  the  County  Superintendent's  report  for  1906,  the  value  of 
all  school  property  in  the  county  is  $439,529.00.  This  includes  houses, 
lands,  furniture,  apparatus  and  libraries.  The  maximum  salaries  paid 
school  teachers  is  $50.00,  $45.00  and  $35.00,  respectively  for  the  three 
grades  of  certificates.  The  length  of  the  term  is  six  months.  About  one- 
fifth  of  our  teachers  are  Normal  School  and  University  graduates. 

All  of  the  rural  schools  are  supplied  with  some  apparatus,  as  charts, 
globes,  maps,  slate  blackboards,  etc.  The  earnest  work  of  teachers  and 
pupils,  through  the  School  Improvement  League,  has  done  much  to- 
wards improving  and  beautifying  school  property.  In  1906  there  were  11,- 
776  volumes  in  the  school  libraries  of  Marion  County. 

There  are  at  present  7,918  pupils  enrolled  in  the  schools  of  the  coun- 
ty. Of  these,  103  are  colored,  for  which  we  have  two  schools,  one  a  four- 
room  brick  building  in  Fairmont,  the  other  a  one-room  building  at  Mon- 
ongah,  in  Grant  District. 

Realizing  that  education  should  last  through  life,  and  that  it  should 
not  be  a  mere  matter  of  grammar  and  of  words,  but  should  include  some 
training  of  the  hand  and  eye,  this  year  the  boys  in  one  district,  are 
being  organized  into- a  club  for  the  study  of  elementary  agriculture.  This 
will  be  followed  later  by  sewing  and  cooking  clubs  for  the  girls. 

Marion  County  with  nearly  half  a  million  dollars  invested  in  school 
property,  244  schools  in  operation,  8,000  children  under  intellectual  train- 
ing, has  reason  to  be  proud  of  her  showing. 


McDowell    County. 

BY    F.    C.    COOK,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

The  real  history  of  the  school  system  in  McDowell  county  begins  with 
the  recent  material  development  of  the  county,  covering  a  period  Of  about 
fifteen  years.  Previous  to  that  time  there  had  been  no  appreciable  ad- 
vancement in  the  system  and  but  little,  if  any,  improvement  in  the  schools. 
During  that  period  the  system  has  developed  very  rapidly,  the  results 
have  been  decidedly  favorable,  and,  while  the  work  has  not  been  alto- 
gether satisfactory,  it  has,  in  a  measure,  kept  pace  with  the  great  material 
development  of  the  county. 

Xo  statistical  information  relative  to  the  schools  of  the  county  pre- 
vious to  the  year  1885  can  be  obtained,  but  by  reference  to  the  report  of 
the  county  superintendent  for  that  year  we  find  that  there  were  only  nine 
school  houses  in  the  county,  and  those  were  log  houses. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  123 

It  is  a  source  of  amusement  for  those  who  are  acquainted  with  the 
situation  to  glance  at  the  list  of  teachers  employed  at  that  time, — all 
holding  first  grade  certificates, — and  compare  them  with  the  teachers  of 
the  present  time. 

The  space  allotted  to  this  sketch  will  not  permit  an  elaborate  ac- 
count or  a  detailed  statement  of  the  growth  and  advancement  of  the 
schools,  'but  a  comparison  of  conditions  and  advantages  existing  eighteen 
years  ago  with  those  at  the  present  will  suffice  to  give  an  idea  of  what  is 
being  done. 

Then  there  were  about  forty  teachers,  none  of  whom  had  ever  at- 
tended a  school  other  than  the  public  schools  of  the  county  or  a  summer 
"subscription  school;"  there  were  nine  school  houses,  worth  less  than  one 
hundred  dollars  each;  there  was  no  furniture  except  "home-made"  bench- 
es, and  no  apparatus  of  any  character;  the  school  term  was  from  three  to 
three  and  one-half  months,  and  teachers'  salaries  were  fixed  at  the  mini- 
mum allowed  by  law;  the  "three  R's"  constituted  the  curriculum,  and  but 
few  pupils  completed  the  course  contained  therein. 

Now  one  hundred  and  fifty  teachers  are  employed,  a  large  majority 
of  whom  have  attended  the  State  Normals,  the  University,  or  some  reputa- 
ble college,  many  of  them  being  graduates  and  having  special  training  for 
school  work;  there  are  seventy-eight  school  buildings  belonging  to  the  dis- 
tricts and  several  others  under  course  of  construction,  costing  from  three 
hundred  to  six  thousand  dollars  each,  and  practically  all  of  them  furnished 
with  the  best  modern  school  furniture,  fixtures  and  apparatus.  The  total 
value  of  school  property  reported  for  the  year  1905-06  was  $80,587.15. 
Seventy  of  the  schools  have  an  eight-month  session;  twenty-seven 
have  six  months,  and  eighteen,  five  months.  The  salaries  for  first  grade 
teachers  are  from  forty  to  fifty  dollars  per  month,  and  the  total  amount 
paid  to  teachers  for  the  year  1905-OG  was  $43,334.50.  All  the  branches 
prescribed  for  the  public  schools  are  being  taught  and  in  many  instances, 
the  .higher  branches.  Libraries  have  been  established  in  most  of  the 
schools  and  during  the  past  year  more  than  1,000  volumes  of  choice  lit- 
erature were  added. 

While  the  results  are  gratifying  there  are  many  difficulties  which 
stand  in  the  way  of  progress,  and  under  existing  conditions  it  will  likely 
never  be  possible  to  reach  the  highest  degree  of  advancement. 

One  trouble  incident  to  the  coal  and  lumber  districts,  which  we 
can  not  hope  to  overcome,  is  the  character  of  a  considerable  element  of 
our  citizens  who  are  locally  designated  as  the  "floating  population."  These 
people  live  but  a  short  time  at  any  one  place  and  are  constantly  shifting 
and  transferring  their  children  liom  one  school  to  another  with  the  result 
that  very  little  advancement  is  made  by  such  pupils.  In  some  instances 
the  enrollment  is  almost  completely  changed  during  the  term  of  school, 
and  teachers  upon  returning  to  a  school  for  the  second  year  rarely  find 
the  same  list  of  pupils  who  were  enrolled  the  previous  year,  and  quite 
often  find  a  complete  change. 

The  most  rapid  development  has  been  within  the  past  five  or  six  years. 
During  this  time  those  old  fogy  ideas  which  formerly  predominated  have 
been  practically  stamped  out  and  exist  today  only  in  the  minds  of  those 


124  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

whose  influence,  power,  and  control  over  boards  of  education  once  dictated 
and  directed  our  educational  interests. 

By  careful  selection  we  are  now  supplied  with  boards  of  education 
who  earnestly  and  conscientiously  guard  the  interests  of  all  classes,  and 
who  do  not  hesitate  to  draw  upon  the  public  fund  when  the  interests  of 
the  schools  demand  it,  and  we  expect  in  the  future  better  houses,  better 
furnishings,  better  salaries,  and  ultimately  a  much  higher  grade  of 
schools. 

An  effort  is  being  made  to  grade  the  schools  more  thoroughly,  and  look- 
ing to  that  end  some  of  the  boards  have  declared  all  schools  employing 
more  than  one  teacher  to  be  graded  schools  under  the  section  of  the  law 
granting  that  authority. 

The  question  of  consolidation  has  been  given  some  consideration,  and, 
though  there  is  considerable  opposition,  based  mainly  upon  the  condition 
of  the  roads  and  other  inconveniences  in  the  way  of  travel,  some  of  our 
boards  have  -adopted  a  system  by  which  we  will  be  able  to  combine  a  num- 
ber of  the  schools  in  the  densely  populated  sections.  In  pursuance  of  this 
plan  one  of  our  boards  this  year  consolidated  five  schools  and  built  a 
house  at  a  cost  of  six  thousand  dollars.  There  are  four  teachers  in  charge 
of  the  school  and  more  than  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  pupils  attend. 
The  results  are  so  very  satisfactory  that  further  action  will  be  taken  in 
that  direction  next  year. 

Under  the  existing  conditions  the  schools  of  this  county  are  con- 
ceded to  be  making  as  rapid  progress  as  could  be  expected,  but  it  is  to  be 
hoped  that  we  may  be  able  to  overcome  some  or  the  difficulties  and  disad- 
vantages standing  in  the  way,  and  that  the  efforts  of  those  interested  may 
be  crowned  with  greater  success  than  they  now  anticipate. 


Mercer    County. 

BY    J.   H.   GADD,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

The  educational  history  of  Mercer  County,  prior  to  the  Civil  War,  is 
similar  to  that  of  other  counties  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State.  Very 
little  in  fact  had  been  accomplished  along  educational  lines  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  Civil  War. 

The  county  suffered  very  much  from  the  war.  The  court  house  at 
Princeton  was  burned  as  was  almost  the  entire  town.  The  county  was 
overrun  by  both  armies  and  the  close  of  the  war  found  the  county  great- 
ly impoverished  and  the  people  divided  on  all  public  questions.  How- 
ever, as  they  became  reconciled  they  began  to  build  and  equip  school 
houses  as  rapidly  as  their  limited  means  would  permit. 

Our  real  educational  progress  began  with  the  advent  of  the  Norfolk 
and  Western  Railroad  in  this  county  (1880)  and  the  subsequent  develop- 
ment of  our  immense  coal  field.  New  towns  have  been  built,  manufac- 
turing plants  have  been  located  here  and  industries  of  various  kinds 
have  sprung  up.  Along  with  this  material  progress  and  development  has 


WEST  VIRGINIA  125 

come  a  like  development  in  educational  matters.  The  last  log  school  house 
has  disappeared  and  we  now  have  large  frame  buildings,  nearly  all  of 
which  are  furnished  with  modern  seats,  desks  and  necessary  apparatus. 
Wages  have  been  advanced  and  the  term  increased  throughout  the  coun- 
ty in  the  last  few  years.  We  now  have  165  school  buildings,  comprising 
over  200  rooms,  (or  schools)  with  a  school  population  of  more  than  10,000. 

The  Deepwater  Railroad  is  being  built  through  the  center  of  the 
county  and  will  increase  very  materially  our  school  funds  besides  being 
of  general  advantage  to  the  county. 

In  addition  to  our  public  school  advantages  in  this  county  we  have  a 
branch  of  the  State  Normal  School  at  Athens,  the  Bluefleld  Colored  Insti- 
tute at  Bluefleld  and  the  Princeton  Collegiate  Institute  at  Princeton. 

We  trust  our  educational  progress  has  kept  pace  with  our  material  de- 
velopment. We  may  have  failed  in  a  few  respects,  at  any  rate,  we  are  not 
satisfied  in  every  particular.  People  who  are  satisfied  with  present  condi- 
tions are  not  progressive.  We  want  a  better  salary  for  teachers  and  then 
more  teachers  who  have  had  special  training  for  their  work.  These, 
among  other  things,  are  essential  to  our  future  progress.  As  to  salary  we 
believe  the  day  is  not  far  distant  when  teachers'  wages  will  be  commen- 
surate with  the  training  and  work  required.  We  believe  the  progressive 
spirit  of  our  citizens  will  not  abate  in  the  future  and  that  our  county  will 
sustain  its  enviable  reputation  as  one  of  the  leading  counties,  educationally 
and  otherwise,  in  Southern  West  Virginia. 


Mineral   County. 

BY   GEORGE    S.    ARNOLD,    SUPERINTENDENT. 
SCHOOL   DISTRICTS. 

Mineral  County  has  been  divided  into  seven  districts.  Five  are  rural — 
Elk,  New  Creek,  Welton,  Cabin  Run  and  Frankfort.  Piedmont  District 
contains  the  towns  of  Piedmont  and  Beryl,  and  Keyser  Independent  Dis- 
trict contains  the  town  of  Keyser. 

SCHOOL   HOUSES. 

At  an  early  date  good  substantial  houses,  though  too  small,  were 
sparsely  built  over  the  county.  But  later,  in  the  progress  of  public  edu- 
cation, still  better  and  larger  houses  were  built,  and  well  finished  and 
furnished  with  modern  appliances.  In  1877  there  were  thirty-eight  school 
houses,  to  which  belonged  2,404  youth,  and  which  were  occupied  by  forty- 
six  teachers,  while  at  present  there  are  seventy-five  school  houses,  which 
should  be  occupied  by  one  hundred  and  ten  teachers.  For  the  employment 
of  these  we  have  an  enumeration  of  4,710  youth. 

\  SCHOOL   APPARATUS. 

About  twenty-five  years  ago  a  small  amount  of  apparatus  was  placed 


126  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

in  many  of  the  schools  by  the  Boards  of  Education.  But  within  the  past 
several  years  there  have  been  furnished  in  nearly  all  of  the  schools  all 
or  some  part  of  the  following  apparatus:  Charts,  manikins,  mensuration 
blocks,  globes;  International,  Unabridged  and  Academic  dictionaries; 
National  and  State  maps  and  tellurians.  But  in  the  year  1903  the  largest 
purchase  of  apparatus  was  made,  consisting  of  Webster's  International 
dictionaries,  large  globes,  large  State  maps  and  world  maps.  In  two  dis- 
tricts—  Piedmont  and  Elk  —  the  schools  were  supplied  with  all  this 
apparatus.  This  purchase  for  the  county  aggregated  nearly  $2,000. 

TEACHERS'  INSTITUTES. 

Back  in  the  seventies  teachers'  institutes  were  held  in  Keyser  on 
Saturdays  for  the  improvement  of  the  teachers.  Of  the  active  workers 
among  the  teachers  were  Miss  Lizzie  Russell,  now  principal  of  a  female 
school  in  Japan;  James  Buchanan,  Mr.  Heskett,  Mr.  Brown  and  others. 
In  1882-3  the  institute  work  took  the  form  of  district  institutes,  which 
were  numerously  held  throughout  the  county  with  good  success.  In  them 
teachers,  patrons  and  pupils  took  a  lively  part.  This  institute  work  was 
continued  for  nine  years.  Then  for  the  next  seven  years  but  few  district 
institutes  were  held.  In  1899,  however,  the  institute  work  was  revived 
and  has  been  vigorously  continued  since.  And,  in  order  to  produce  more 
substantial  growth  in  the  work,  to  give  better  instruction,  to  arouse  more 
enthusiasm  and  to  awaken  new  interest,  arrangements  have  been  made 
from  year  to  year  with  the  faculties  of  the  University  Preparatory  School, 
the  Keyser  High  School  and  the  Davis  High  School  of  Piedmont  to  attend 
these  institutes  over  the  county  and  render  efficient  help. 

TEACHERS'  BEADING  CIRCLE. 

In  1887  State  Superintendent  B.  S.  Morgan  recommended  the  forma- 
tion of  teachers'  reading  circles.  Accordingly  a  circle  was  organized  in 
Mineral  County;  more  than  half  of  the  teachers  joined,  and  most  of  them 
did  successful  work.  Some  of  them  passed  good  examinations  on  the 
prescribed  course  of  reading.  Suitable  certificates  were  issued  to  the 
teachers  who  made  the  required  grade  on  examination. 

Through  this  organization  many  teachers  were  greatly  benefited. 
The  work  was  vigorously  continued  several  years  and  then  was  permitted 
to  drop  back  to  individual  effort  till  the  year  1901.  when  it  was  enthusi- 
astically and  vigorously  resumed  through  the  new  organization  —  "The 
Mineral  County  Teachers'  Association."  Where  it  is  not  feasible  to  pur- 
sue the  adopted  course  of  reading  through  organized  effort,  many  do  the 
work  independently. 

GRADATION  AND  GRADUATION. 

Soon  after  the  grad.ed  course  for  the  country  and  village  schools  was 
prescribed  by  law  the  system  was  put  into  operation  here.  It  has  been 
faithfully  carried  out  as  far  as  practicable,  and  has  lead  up  to  the  gradu- 
ation from  these  schools  of  many  worthy  and  competent  pupils. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  127 

CERTIFICATES  OF  HONOR. 

As  a  further  means  of  stimulating  attendance  at  school,  Superin- 
tendent C.  F.  Halm,  in  1895,  introduced  the  plan  of  issuing  certificates 
of  honor  to  pupils  neither  absent  nor  tardy  for  the  term.  The  results  were 
so  satisfactory  that  the  County  Superintendent  and  Boards  of  Education 
have  continued  to  issue  these  certificates.  They  are  of  two  grades.  The 
first  grade  certificate  is  granted  to  pupils  neither  absent  nor  tardy,  and 
the  second  grade  certificate  to  pupils  having  been  absent  or  tardy  not 
more  than  ten  days,  and  then  for  sickness  only. 

SCHOOL   LIBRARIES. 

Until  recent  years  the  work  of  establishing  public  school  libraries 
did  not  receive  the  earnest  attention  of  the  teachers  and  County  Superin- 
tendent that  is  due  so  important  a  work.  But  last  year  it  was  given 
new  impetus,  and  about  one  thousand  three  hundred  volumes  were  placed 
in  the  schools.  About  two  hundred  of  these  were  added  to  several 
libraries  established  some  years  ago,  and  the  others  were  placed  in  newly 
started  libraries.  Including  all  the  public  school  libraries  in  the  county, 
the  number  of  volumes  aggregated  about  three  thousand  five  hundred  at 
the  close  of  last  year.  In  Elk  District  alone,  in  which  twenty-one  teachers 
were  employed,  the  schools  raised  about  three  hundred  dollars  for 
libraries  and  the  Board  of  Education  added  one  hundred  and  one  dollars 
to  this  sum.  With  these  funds  seven  hundred  and  eighty-five  volumes 
were  put  into  the  libraries,  and  several  bookcases  were  purchased.  This 
year  the  work  along  this  line  is  vigorous  and  more  general  over  the 
county.  Many  new  libraries  are  being  established  and  many  volumes  are 
being  added  to  libraries  previously  established.  At  this  time  there  are 
no  data  by  which  to  determine  the  number  of  volumes  being  placed  this 
year. 

THE    WEST    VIRGINIA     SCHOOL    IMPROVEMENT    LEAGUE. 

It  is  under  the  auspices  of  this  league  that  the  library  work  is  being 
done;  arbor  work  is  receiving  some  attention;  flags  are  being  raised  on 
some  of  the  schools;  in  New  Creek  and  Elk  Districts,  however,  the 
Boards  of  Education  supplied  the  school  houses  with  flags  several  years 
ago;  bells  are  being  placed  upon  some  of  the  houses;  many  fine  pictures 
are  being  provided  for  the  decoration  of  school  rooms,  and  school  grounds 
are  being  cleared  of  rubbish  and  improved. 

SALARIES   OF  TEACHERS. 

As  an  appreciation  of  services  faithfully  rendered  by  the  better  class 
of  teachers,  there  has  been  a  strong  public  sentiment  in  favor  of  paying 
that  class  of  teachers  better  salaries.  Before  the  law  was  enacted  pro- 
viding for  an  increased  minimum,  the  Boards  of  Education  made  an 
increase  in  the  salaries  of  Mineral  County  teachers  of  from  five  to  ten 
dollars  per  month  in  the  ,  rural  districts.  And  now  that  the  minimum 
salary  for  first  grade  is  thirty-five  dollars,  the  boards  have  advanced 
to  forty  dollars,  except  in  Welton  District,  where  the  salary  is 


128  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

thirty-seven  dollars.  There  is  a  prospect  for  an  increase  to  forty-five 
dollars  next  year  in  some  of  the  districts.  The  salaries  in  the  graded 
schools,  for  the  principals,  vary  from  forty  dollars  to  one  hundred  and 
fifteen  dollars,  and  for  assistants,  from  thirty-five  dollars  to  ninety  dollars 
per  month. 

SCHOOL   TERM. 

Keyser  Independent  and  Piedmont  districts  have  nine  months,  Elk 
District  has  six  months,  New  Creek,  Welton,  Cabin  Run  and  Frankfort 
districts  have  only  five  months. 

NUMBER  OF   SCHOOLS. 

The  number  of  schools  has  slowly  increased  till  at  present  there 
are  nine  graded  schools  employing  from  two  to  nineteen  teachers  each. 
Two  of  these  are  graded  and  high  schools  combined.  There  are  sixty-two 
single  schools. 

THE     NUMBER    OF     TEACHERS     AND     THEIR     STANDARD. 

The  dearth  of  teachers  has  been  a  serious  problem  for  solution.  Con- 
ditions in  this  county  are  such  that  the  vocation  of  teaching  is  necessarily 
brought  into  competitive  relation  to  public  works,  and  the  term  being 
short  and  the  salary  inadequate,  many  ambitious  young  people  amongst 
our  teachers  have  made  choice  of  other  vocations.  At  present  there  are 
ninety-seven  teachers  in  the  schools,  whereas  one  hundred  and  ten  are 
needed  in  the  county.  We  now  have  teachers  from  six  counties  in  West 
Virginia  and  some  from  Maryland.  Of  this  number  of  teachers,  seventeen 
are  gentlemen  and  eighty  are  ladies.  Forty-eight  hold  first  grade  or 
State  Certificates;  thirty-seven,  second  grade  certificates,  and  twelve,  third 
grade  certificates.  The  standards  formerly  established  under  the  county 
system  of  examination  has  been  maintained  under  the  State  Uniform  sys- 
tem. 

COUNTY    SUPERINTENDENTS. 

All  the  persons  who  have  served  as  Superintendent  of  Mineral  County 
are  living,  and  four  of  the  number  are  yet  intimately  connected  with  the 
school  work.  They  served  at  the  time  and  in  the  order  indicated  as  fol- 
lows: T.  P.  Adams,  1870  to  72;  J.  W.  Vandiver,  1873  to  76;  J.  A.  Sharp- 
less,  1877  to  80;  D.  C.  Arnold,  1881  and  82;  G.  S.  Arnold,  1883  to  921; 
W.  M.  Foulk,  1893  and  94;  C.  F.  Hahn,  1895  to  98;  G.  S.  Arnold,  1899  to 
present  time  (1907),  who  has  been  re-elected  for  another  term  of  four 
years. 


Mingo    County. 

P.Y   CHARLES    H.   ELLIS,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

The  schools  of  Mingo  County  have  improved  greatly  during  the  past 
four  years.  Four  years  ago  we  had  only  a  few  good  school  buildings;  we 
were  using  a  number  of  log  houses,  and  some  schools  were  housed  in 


WEST  VIRGINIA  129 

buildings  that  had  been  used  for  camps.  At  that  time  we  had  about 
seventy-six  schools  in  the  county  in  all,  and  only  four  houses  with  more 
than  one  room.  Teachers  were  paid  $30.00  and  $35.00  per  month  for 
first  grade  certificates.  Now  we  have  one  hundred  and  one  schools  in  all, 
and  ten  of  them  are  graded  schools. 

We  have  erected  twenty-five  school  buildings  within  the  last  four 
years.  They  are  all  creditable  houses,  well  furnished.  Our  teachers  are 
paid  $50.00  and  $55.00  per  month  for  first  grade  certificates,  and  we  now 
have  seven  and  eight-month  terms,  while  four  years  ago  we  had  only 
a  five-month  term.  All  of  our  districts  are  in  good  standing  financially 
and  claims  are  worth  their  face  value.  The  independent  district  of  Wil- 
liamson is  now  enploying  six  teachers  and  is  erecting  a  fine  brick  school 
building  with  eight  rooms. 


Monongalia   County. 

BY   JESSE   HENRY,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

The  school  master  was  in  Monongalia  County  before  the  year  1780, 
and  schools  were  taught  for  eleven  years  before  the  Indians  departed 
from  the  county;  but  now  not  even  the  names  of  those  old  masters  can 
be  obtained,  and  the  description  of  their  school  houses  only  has  come 
down  to  us. 

The  frontier  school  was  conducted  beneath  the  trees,  or  in  the  cabin 
of  a  settler  close  to  the  fort.  Later  came  the  backwoods  school  house. 
This  early  school  house  was  a  single-story  cabin  built  of  round  logs. 
The  furniture  of  these  houses  was  as  rude  as  the  buildings  themselves. 
The  master,  as  the  teacher  was  then  called,  was  usually  a  grim  and  stern 
personage,  presiding  with  absolute  authority,  and  ruling  by  fear  and  not 
by  love.  The  schools  were  not  regulated  by  law.  A  subscription  paper, 
stating  the  price  of  tuition  per  scholar  for  the  term,  was  circulated,  and 
each  person  affixed  to  his  name  the  number  of  scholars  he  would  send. 
If  a  sufficient  number  was  obtained,  the  school  began.  The  course  of 
instruction  was  limited  to  the  few  primary  branches  —  spelling,  reading, 
writing  and  arithmetic;  and  the  qualifications  to  teach  even  these 
properly  were  generally  wanting  in  the  master,  though  there  were  a  few 
good  teachers  in  these  first  schools. 

The  school  history  of  Monongalia  County  may  be  divided  into  three 
periods  —  that  of  the  pioneer  schools,  that  of  the  subscription  schools  and 
that  of  the  free  schools.  I  will  say  no  more  of  the  first  two  periods. 

COUNTY    SUPERINTENDENTS. 

The  County  Superintendents  of  Free  Schools  of  Monongalia  County, 
up  to  the  present,  are  as  follows: 

1864-1866  —  H.  W.  Biggs,  who  removed  from  the  county,  and  George 
C.  Sturgiss  was  appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy. 


130  HISTORY  or  EDUCATION 

1867  - 1869  —  Henry  L.  Cox. 

1869  - 1871  —  Henry  L.  Cox. 

1871  - 1873  —  Henry  L.  Cox. 

1873-1875  —  Rev.  J.  L.  Simpson,  who  did  not  serve;  Henry  L.  Cox 
was  appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy. 

1875  - 1877—  Alexander  L.  Wade. 

1877-1879  — Alexander  L.  Wade. 

1879  - 1881  —  Bruce  L.  Keenan. 

1881  - 1883  —  Benjamin  S.  Morgan. 

1883  - 1885  —  Benjamin  S.  Morgan. 

1885  - 1887  —  Virgil  Vandervort. 

1887-1889  — W.  E.  Glasscock. 

1889  - 1891  —  W.  E.  Glasscock,  who  was  in  a  short  time  elected  ClerK 
of  the  County  Court  of  Monongalia  County;  M.  L.  Brown  was  appointed 
to  fill  the  vacancy. 

1891-1893  — M.  L.  Brown. 

1893-1895  — D.  B.  Waters. 

1895-1899  — D.  B.  Waters. 

1899  - 1903  —  Stephen  Mason. 

1903  -  —       —  Jesse  Henry. 

ORGANIZATION. 

To  A.  L.  Wade  belongs  the  honor  of  being  the  author  of  a  graduating 
system  for  country  schools,  which  has  had  a  marked  influence  for  good  on 
the  schools  of  Monongalia  County.  The  first  class  was  formed  in  1875, 
and  was  called  the  class  of  1876;  261  pupils  entered  the  class  and  196 
completed  the  course  and  received  diplomas. 

To  B.  S.  Morgan  belongs  the  honor  of  being  the  author  of  an  outline 
course  of  study,  which  has  proved  to  be  of  great  help  to  teachers  in  their 
work,  and  has  met  with  great  success  throughout  the  State.  This  outline 
course  of  study  was  introduced  into  the  common  schools  of  Monongalia 
County  in  1880. 

The  Teachers'  Association  of  Monongalia  County  was  organized  by 
County  Superintendent  George  C.  Sturgiss,  on  December  27,  1865,  and 
continued  to  meet  twice  a  year  at  Morgantown  until  1869.  On  December 
27,  1870,  a  County  Institute  was  held  at  Morgantown  by  appointment  of 
the  State  Superintendent.  Since  1879  county  institutes  have  been  held 
for  one  week  in  each  year  at  Morgantown. 

The  free  school  system  did  not  go  into  effect  in  Monongalia  County 
until  1865.  It  is  said  that  Grant  District  was  the  first  to  open  free  schools, 
and  that  Cass  and  Clinton  were  next  to  follow.  Monongalia  County  is 
divided  into  eight  districts  —  Battelle,  Clay,  Cass,  Clinton,  Grant,  Morgan, 
Union  and  the  independent  district  of  Morgantown. 

With  but  one  school  house  worthy  of  the  name  forty  years  ago  —  that 
one  being  Fort  Martin,  located  in  Cass  District  —  we  now  have  118,  most 
of  which  are  very  good  buildings.  Recently  constructed  houses  are  built 
with  a  vestibule  or  cloak  room.  We  have  also  some  attractive  two-room 
buildings.  In  the  past  two  years  many  libraries  have  been  started  in  the 


WEST  VIRGINIA  131 

rural  schools  of  the  county,  and  the  movement  is  continuing  to  go  for- 
ward. Union  and  Morgan  districts  have  six  months  terms  of  school,  the 
remainder  five  months.  The  salary  of  teachers  holding  No.  1  certificates 
ranges  from  $40.00  to  $50.00  per  month;  for  No.  2  certificates,  $30.00  to 
$43.00  per  month.  The  enumeration  for  1906  shows  a  school  population 
of  6,087. 

The  act  of  1903,  establishing  the  uniform  system  of  examinations  in 
West  Virginia,  while  it  has  caused  a  scarcity  of  teachers  for  the  present, 
will,  I  sincerely  believe,  revolutionize  the  free  school  system.  And,  to 
raise  the  standard  of  education  in  Monongalia  County,  we  must  have 
better  attendance,  more  enthusiasm  among  the  pupils,  and  more  solid 
progress  by  them;  a  growing  appreciation  on  the  part  of  the  people,  and 
more  general  co-operation  by  them,  and  improved  qualifications  and  better 
work  on  the  part  of  teachers. 


Monroe    County. 

B.    F.    HOYLMAN,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

The  educational  history  of  Monroe  County,  prior  to  the  Civil  War,  is 
similar  to  that  of  the  other  counties  of  the  State. 

Up  to  the  time  of  the  establishment  of  the  public  school  system,  the 
facilities  for  education  consisted  of  schools  supported  principally  by 
private  subscriptions. 

The  few  school  houses  were  rude  structures,  very  uncomfortable  and 
inconvenient,  with  but  little  apparatus  or  furniture  of  any  kind,  and 
situated  so  far  apart  that  attendance  at  school  was  quite  irregular. 

From  crude  beginnings  the  school  work  of  this  county  has  gradually 
developed  and  improved  until  we  now  have  130  schools  taught  by  able 
and  efficient  teachers,  who  feel  the  responsibility  of  their  positions  and 
are  devoting  their  best  energies  to  the  noble  work  of  teaching  and  train- 
ing the  boys  and  girls,  who  come  under  their  care,  in  the  ways  that  lead 
to  noble  manhood  and  true  womanhood. 

Monroe  County  is  strictly  an  agricultural  section  and  has  not  experi- 
enced the  sudden  changes  in  material  development  and  wealth  that  have 
come  to  some  other  counties  of  the  State.  The  advancement  and  im- 
provement in  educational  facilities  have  been  gradual,  but  continual,  and 
the  schools  have  been  constantly  improving.  Teachers  are  more  earnest 
in  their  work  and  are  becoming  better  qualified;  pupils  and  parents,  more 
interested  in  education,  and  our  schools  .are  now  better  than  ever  before. 

The  teaching  force  of  the  county  consists  of  young  men  and  women 
from  the  best  families,  a  number  of  whom  have  attended  some  one  of 
the  normal  schools  of  the  State  that  they  might  better  fit  themselves  for 
their  work. 

During  the  spring  and  summer  we  nave  a  number  of  "Summer 
Normals,"  conducted  by  our  most  experienced  instructors.  These  are 


132  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

largely  attended  by  teachers  and  other  young  people,  and  have  been  a 
very  great  source  of  improvement  among  our  teachers. 

The  Teachers'  Institute  work  of  the  county  has  gradually  improved 
until  today  the  institutes  are  considered  annual  intellectual  feasts.  The 
great  interest  manifested  in  these  Institutes  both  by  the  teachers  and  the 
public,  makes  them  quite  helpful  and  the  most  interesting  teachers'  meet- 
ing in  the  school  year,  both  socially  and  educationally. 

Many  of  the  teachers  of  the  county  attend  and  take  an  active  part 
in  the  teachers'  meetings,  such  as  district  institutes,  reading  circles  and 
district  associations. 

Upon  the  whole  the  schools  of  Monroe  County  have  improved  rapidly, 
the  future  prospects  are  encouraging,  and  all  concerned  are  aiming  to- 
ward better  things. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  County  Superintendents  of  Monroe 
County,  with  the  term  of  service  of  each,  as  nearly  as  can  be  ascertained: 

1867-1869  — B.  F.  Ballard. 

1869-1871  — J.  A.  McMan. 

1871-1873  — A.  B.  Beamer. 

1873-1875  — M.  H.  Bittinger. 

1875-1877  — J.  D.  Beckett. 

1877-1879  — J.  P.  Campbell. 

1879-1881  — J.  P.  Campbell. 

1881  - 1883  —  J.  D.  Beckett. 

1883-1885  — J.  D.  Beckett. 

1885  - 1887  —  C.  M.  Honaker. 

1887-1889— W.  E.  Hines. 

1889-1891  — J.  E.  Keadle. 

1891-1893  — T.  J.  Wickline. 

1893-1895  — W.  F.  Weikle. 

1895-1899  — J.  H.  Cook. 

1899-1903  — J.  N.  Hoylman. 

1903 B.  F.  Hoylman. 


Nicholas  County. 

BY    S.    C.    DOTSON,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

On  account  of  the  school  records  being  destroyed  by  fire,  I  am  unpre- 
pared to  give  much  definite  information  concerning  the  early  educational 
history  of  Nicholas  county. 

Nicholas  County  was  formed  in  1818,  from  Greenbrier,  and  named  in 
honor  of  W.  C.  Nicholas,  a  Governor  of  Virginia.  Until  after  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  free  school  system,  under  the  government  of  the  State  of  West 
Virginia,  only  a  few  schools  existed,  supported  by  private  subscriptions. 
Prior  to,  and  for  a  number  of  years  after  the  close  of  the  Civil  War,  the 
educational  facilities  of  the  county  were  very  meager.  There  were  not 
many  schools,  and  on  account  of  the  distance  to  be  traveled,  it  was  im- 


WKST  Vnw.iMA  133 

possible  for  many  of  the  children  to  attend  them.  The  school  houses 
were  crude  log  buildings,  lighted  by  means  of  rectangular  holes  cut  in  the 
walls,  with  paper  pasted  over  them.  In  most  cases  the  floors  and  seats 
were  made  of  split  or  hewn  puncheons.  The  term  of  school  lasted  only 
from  two  to  three  months.  Reading,  spelling,  writing  and  arithmetic 
were  usually  the  only  subjects  taught. 

As  time  passed,  and  the  citizens  became  acquainted  with  the  good 
results  of  the  free  school,  they  became  attached  to  the  system,  and  soon 
the  antiquated  log  houses  were  being  supplanted  by  modern  frame  build- 
ings; and  today,  within  convenient  distance  of  almost  every  home  in  the 
county,  is  to  be  found  an  attractive,  commodious,  well  lighted  and  ventir 
lated  school  house. 

In  1893,  under  the  leadership  of  W.  G.  Brown,  a  most  excellent  school 
man,  the  Summersville  Normal  School  was  established.  Most  of  our 
teachers,  old  and  young,  entered  this  school  for  training;  and,  becoming 
alive  to  the  more  important  use  and  aim  of  education,  carried  out  with 
them  into  the  schools  in  all  sections  of  the  county,  better  methods  of 
instruction  and  much  higher  intellectual  ideals  than  had  before  existed. 
I  feel  that  I  am  fair  to  all  when  I  say  that  the  teachers  of  Nicholas 
County  today  will,  in  all  respects,  compare  favorably  with  those  of  the 
leading  educational  counties  of  the  State. 

The  work  of  the  Teachers'  Institute  gradually  improves  as  the  teach- 
ing profession  moves  to  a  higher  standing,  and  the  County  Institute  has 
become  the  central  point  of  interest  for  the  teachers,  socially  and  intel- 
lectually, while  the  district  institutes  and  reading  circles  are  doing  much 
to  advance  educational  interests. 

The  educational  status  of  the  county  is  rapidly  rising;  the  uniform 
examination  system  is  having  a  telling  effect  along  this  line.  The  teachers 
are  becoming  more  impressed  with  their  great  responsibility  and  with  the 
need  of  a  more  thorough  preparation  for  their  work.  There  seems  also  to 
be  a  great  awakening  among  many  patrons  as  to  the  importance  of  an 
education  for  their  children. 

Until  recently,  school  libraries  seemed  to  be  almost  unthought  of,  but 
within  the  past  three  years  considerable  interest  in  this  subject  has  de- 
veloped among  teachers,  patrons  and  pupils.  The  Board  of  Education 
of  Jefferson  District,  which  is  the  banner  district  for  supplying  the 
schools  with  apparatus,  purchased  libraries  for  the  schools  of  that  district, 
while  libraries  have  been  placed  in  a  number  of  schools  of  the  other  dis- 
tricts by  the  earnest  and  energetic  efforts  of  teachers. 

Richwood  Independent  District,  created  under  an  act  of  the  Legisla- 
ture of  1903,  has  arected  good  school  buildings,  and  with  an  enumeration 
of  715  children  of  school  age,  1906,  now  employs  sixteen  teachers,  paying 
salaries  as  follows:  Second  grade  teachers,  $40.00  per  month;  first  grade, 
$45.00;  first  assistant,  $75.00;  superintendent,  $100.00.  Length  of  school 
term,  seven  months. 

The  country  districts,  seven  in  number,  all  have  a  five-months  school 
term  and  pay  their  teachers  this  year  the  minimum  salaries,  except 


134  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

Jefferson  District,  which  pays  $40.00  and  $45.00  per  month  to  second  and 
first  grade  teachers,  respectively. 

There  were  139  schools  in  the  county  in  1905;  4,740  children  of  school 
age;  an  enrollment  of  3,997;  an  average  daily  attendance  of  2,740.  In 
1906  the  enumeration  was  5,053  and  the  number  of  schools  was  144. 

The  cost  of  education  per  capita  per  term,  1905,  based  on  enumera- 
tion, was  $7.66;  based  on  enrollment,  $9.68;  based  on  average  daily  at- 
tendance, $14.13. 

Nicholas  County  possesses  an  abundance  of  wealth  in  natural  re- 
sources, which,  as  yet,  are  practically  all  undeveloped.  In  recent  years  a 
great  deal  of  capital  has  been  invested  within  the  county.  Railroads  are 
being  constructed,  large  lumbering  plants  and  other  factories  erected,  and 
some  coal  mines  are  being  operated.  With  this  increase  in  capital  to 
produce  more  school  revenue,  and  with  the  increased  interest  being  mani- 
fested in  the  cause  of  education,  unless  some  unforeseen  event  should 
check  this  progress,  much  can  be  expected  of  our  schools  in  the  future. 


Ohio    County. 

GEO.  'S.  BIGGS,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

The  first  free  school  of  Ohio  County  was  founded  in  the  year  1848. 
Ohio  County  was  among  the  first'  of  the  State  to  adopt  the  free  school 
system.  This  county  now  has  seventy-two  schools,  and  most  of  them  are 
well  provided  with  libraries,  maps,  charts  and  other  requisites  for  suc- 
cessful teaching. 

Ohio  County  is  rapidly  increasing  in  population  and  wealth.  Ritchie 
and  Triadelphia  districts  will  have  nine  months'  school;  Washington,  ten 
months,  and  Richland  and  Liberty,  eight  months  next  year.  The  teaching 
corps  of  Ohio  County  is  composed  mostly  of  young  men  and  women,  yet 
they  compare  favorably  with  the  best  in  the  State.  Liberal  advances  have 
been  made  in  teachers'  salaries  by  the  Boards  of  Education  in  all  the 
districts,  and  a  greater  advance  will  be  made  next  year.  The  West 
Liberty  State  Normal  School  and  the  County  and  District  Institutes  are 
sources  of  great  help  to  the  Ohio  County  teachers. 

This  county  has  about  3,585  pupils  of  school  age  (outside  of  the  city 
of  Wheeling),  most  of  whom  attend  the  public  schools,  and  the  re- 
mainder attend  church  and  private  schools. 

Our  school  houses  are  frame  structures,  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
brick  buildings.  Most  of  them  are  heated  with  coal  and  the  remainder 
are  heated  and  lighted  with  natural  gas. 

Ohio  County  contains  120  square  miles.  The  hills  and  valleys  are 
dotted  with  these  school  houses,  and  every  boy  and  girl  may  easily 
obtain  a  good  education. 

The  first  County  Superintendent  of  Schools  was  S.  G.  Stevens,  and 
the  present  one,  George  S.  Biggs,  of  West  Liberty,  who  is  to  be  succeeded 
by  J.  Vincent  Giffin,  of  Elm  Grove. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  135 

The  Elm  Grove  Graded  School  is  the  largest  in  the  county,  outside 
of  the  city  of  Wheeling,  having  eight  teachers  and  an  enrollment  of  over 
350  pupils.  The  other  graded  schools  are  those  at  Edgington,  Triadelphia, 
Park  View,  Glenova,  Valley,  Valley  Grove,  Fulton  and  Leather  Wood. 

In  the  last  two  years  the  following  schools  have  been  built:  At 
Honey's  Point,  a  two-room  frame  building;  Bethlehem,  a  two-room  frame 
building;  Mount  de  Chantal,  a  two-room  frame  building;  Glenova,  a  four- 
room  building;  Elm  Grove,  a  twelve-room  brick  building;  Edgington,  a 
four-room  addition,  making  an  eight-room  brick  building.  These  recently 
constructed  houses  are  furnished  with  modern  seats  and  slate  blackboards, 
and  are  built  with  vestibules  or  cloak  rooms. 

Many  of  our  schools  are  establishing  good  serviceable  school  libraries; 
eight  schools  have  purchased  organs,  and  two  schools  pianos,  and  many 
flags,  fine  pictures  and  other  things  have  been  supplied  to  make  school  life 
both  pleasant  and  helpful. 

All  of  our  teachers  are  endeavoring  to  classify  their  schools  according 
to  the  nine-year  schedule  of  Superintendent  Thomas  C.  Miller.  The  first 
persons  to  receive  common  school  diplomas  under  the  graded  system 
graduated  within  the  term  of  ex-Superintendent  F.  C.  Cox  in  1895.  This 
graded  system  has  proved  beneficial  to  Ohio  County  and  has  spurred  the 
youth  on  to  greater  efforts.  Each  year  others  have  completed  the  com- 
mon school  course  and  many  have  taken  up  work  in  higher  institutions. 

Triadelphia  District,  containing  more  than  half  of  both  teachers  and 
pupils  of  the  county,  has  had  for  two  years  a  district  organization  which 
is  doing  good  and  efficient  work. 

Wonderful  progress  is  being  made,  and  the  boys  and  girls  of  ten 
years  of  age  know  more  than  did  those  of  twenty  years  in  the  days  of 
the  log  school  house  with  puncheon  doors  and  floors,  goose  quill  pens  and 
soap-stone  pencils.  . 


Pleasants   County. 

BY    A.    W.    LOCKE,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

All  things  must  have  a  beginning,  however  humble,  and  in  the  case 
of  the  free  schools  in  Pleasants  County,  the  beginning  was  certainly  not 
roseate  with  promise  of  success. 

According  to  the  best  information  I  have  been  able  to  find,  the 
number  of  schools  in  the  county  the  first  year  of  the  free  school  system 
was  nine.  This  must  not  be  considered  the  very  beginning  of  education 
in  the  county,  however,  for  no  sketch  would  even  approach  accuracy 
without  devoting  some  time  to  the  period  during  which  the  '"subscription 
school"  flourished  and  the  old-time  teacher  traveled  from  settlement  to 
settlement  in  search  of  employment,  carrying  his  personal  belongings  with 
him,  as  in  the  days  of  Ichabod  Crane.  Much  has  been  said  and  written 
in  derision  of  the  schools  and  teachers  of  this  period.  Some  of  the  criti- 
cism is  no  doubt  just,  but  much  of  it  is  misleading  and  cruel.  Certain 


136  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

it  is  that  the  "old-time  pedagogue,"  notwithstanding  his  abiding  faith  in 
the  efficacy  of  the  rod  of  birch,  did  in  his  own  way  and  his  own  time  a 
great  work  for  the  State  that  was  to  be,  and  is  deserving  of  much  better 
treatment  than  is  usually  accorded  him  by  the  later-day  critic. 

Tradition  has  preserved  the  names  of  a  few  of  Pleasants  County's 
educational  pioneers,  and  occasionally  one  will  hear  some  very  old  man 
speak  of  Gideon  Terry,  Martin  Winninger  or  Aaron  Belong  in  a  rever- 
ential tone  of  voice,  such  as  he  would  use  in  naming  George  Washington 
or  Thomas  Jefferson.  The  last  named  teacher  became  the  first  County 
Superintendent  under  the  free  school  system,  and  was  in  many  respects 
a  remarkable  man.  In  appearance  he  was  decidedly  unprepossessing, 
being  more  than  six  feet  tall  and  as  lank  and  ungainly  as  "Old  Abe"  him- 
self. He  was  of  a  literary  turn  of  mind  and  was  a  man  of  no  meager 
attainments.  Some  of  his  poems  and  prose  sketches  are  still  in  existence, 
and  are  marked  by  a  felicity  of  expression  and  a  depth  of  thought  un- 
locked for  in  one  of  such  scant  opportunities.  The  examinations  during 
the  early  days  of  the  free  schools  were  to  some  extent  farcical.  They 
were  oral  and  were  given  at  the  home  of  the  County  Superintendent  at  such 
time  as  best  suited  the  convenience  and  pleasure  of  the  applicant.  Five 
grades  of  certificates  were  issued,  and  the  wages  paid  for  the  highest  grade 
was  much  less  than  is  now  paid  for  the  lowest  grade. 

Pleasants  County,  in  common  with  her  sister  counties  along  the 
Ohio  River,  was  forced  for  many  years  to  fill  her  schools  with  teachers 
from  the  State  of  Ohio.  Indeed  at  a  date  not  later  than  fifteen  years  ago 
a  large  percentage  of  our  teachers  hailed  from  the  Buckeye  State.  The 
educational  progress  of  the  county  (in  recent  years)  cannot  be  better 
illustrated  than  by  pointing  to  the  fact  that  at  the  present  time  not  one 
teacher  from  Ohio  is  employed  in  our  schools.  The  growth  of  the  educa- 
tional system  in  the  county  was  not  rapid.  The  people  were  poor  and 
even  a  small  tax  was  burdensome.  The  school  houses  built  were  not 
well  planned,  and  were  located  far  apart.  Nothing  was  thought  of  chil- 
dren's having  to  walk  several  miles  to  school.  Slate  blackboards  were 
unknown  and  in  some  cases  the  wood  used  for  fuel  was  furnished  by  the 
larger  boys.  Sanitary  conditions  were  overlooked. 

All  of  the  above  mentioned  conditions  have  been  changed  for  the 
better,  but  the  changes  have  been  brought  about  gradually.  As  the  ma- 
terial wealth  and  population  of  the  county  increased,  more  attention  was 
given  to  educational  matters.  Better  houses  were  built,  higher  wages  were 
paid  teachers,  and  longer  school  terms  provided  for.  At  the  present  time 
there  are  in  the  county  fifty-five  school  buildings,  and  sixty-five  teachers 
are  employed.  This  seems  amply  sufficient  when  we  remember  that  the 
county  has  an  area  of  but  one  hundred  and  fifty  square  miles.  Most  of 
our  school  buildings  are  substantial,  well-built  structures.  Those  built  in 
recent  years  are  not  only  well  built,  but  are  decidedly  attractive.  The 
grounds  also  are  usually  clean  and  well  kept.  But  it  is  inside  rather  than 
outside  the  building  that  the  greatest  change  has  been  wrought.  Instead 
of  the  dirty,  box-like  room  of  days  gone  by,  we  find  a  neat,  cosy,  cheerful 
place.  Comfortable  seats  have  taken  the  places  of  clumsy  benches;  at- 


WARD    SCHOOL,    MOBOANTOWN. 


HIGH   SCHOOL,   CHARLES   TOWN. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  137 

tractive  pictures  hang  on  the  walls;  the  floor  is  clean  and  the  ceilings 
painted.  Several  shelves  are  filled  with  choice  books,  and  a  slate  black- 
board extends  across  one  end  of  the  building.  Maps,  charts  and  other 
helps  are  to  be  seen;  and,  last  but  far  from  least,  we  find  ourselves  breath- 
ing good,  pure,  invigorating  air.  This  may  seem  like  the  picture  of  an 
ideal  school  room,  but  we  have  a  number  in  Pleasants  County  which  will 
measure  up  fully  to  this  description.  The  improvement  in  other  lines  of 
school  work  has  been  as  marked  as  in  school  architecture. 


Pocahontas    County. 

BY    J.   B.    GRIMES,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

Pocahontas  County,  formed  in  1821  from  parts  of  Bath,  Pendleton 
and  Randolph  counties,  Virginia,  and  named  from  the  Indian  Princess  of 
that  name,  is  one  of  the  large  counties  of  West  Virginia,  having  an  area 
of  820  square  miles. 

About  two  decades  after  the  formation  of  the  county  there  was  an 
educational  awakening,  and  on  motion  of  Hon.  John  Grimes,  who  was  at 
that  time  representing  Pocahontas  in  the  Virginia  Legislature,  charters 
for  three  academies  were  granted  —  Greenbank,  Huntersville  and 
Hillsboro. 

Among  those  who  taught  in  the  Greenbank  Academy  appear  the 
names  of  Benjamm  Arbogast  and  James  Slaven.  Some  of  the  teachers 
of  the  Huntersville  School  were  J.  C.  Humphreys,  A.  Crawford,  Rev.  T.  P. 
Magruder,  J.  Woods  Price  and  Professor  Miller.  The  Hillsboro  Academy 
was  established  in  1842.  The  first  principal  was  Rev.  Joseph  Brown,  who 
served  in  that  capacity  for  seven  years.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  M.  D. 
Dunlap,  who  remained  at  the  head  of  the  institution  for  eleven  years,  or 
till  the  Civil  War  began,  and  the  school  closed. 

In  1865  the  county  purchased  the  building,  and  for  several  years 
it  was  used  for  public  school  purposes.  But  later,  this  building  being  in- 
adequate to  accommodate  those  who  wished  to  attend  school  here,  was 
razed  and  a  new  building  was  erected  on  the  same  lot;  to  this  an  addition 
has  been  built  in  recent  years,  and  it  is  now  a  commodious  four-room 
structure. 

This  was  the  first  school  of  high  order  in  the  county,  and  its  influence 
has  been  felt  throughout  this  section  of  the  State.  It  has  had  some  very 
distinguished  teachers,  among  whom  appear  the  name  of  an  ex-Governor 
of  this  state,  that  of  Hon.  William  A.  MacCorkle. 

This  school  can  now  prepare  students  to  enter  the  Sophomore  class 
of  our  leading  colleges,  and  is  under  the  care  of  A.  Lewin  Kibler,  A.  M., 
assisted  by  his  brother,  Thomas  L.  Kibler,  A.  M.,  and  Miss  Myrtle  Hogsett 
and  Mrs.  Verdie  Mann. 

There  are  some  very  earnest  teachers  in  Pocahontas  County,  some  of 
whom  have  been  serving  their  county  in  this  capacity  for  thirty-five  years. 

Among  those  who  have  served  as  County  Superintendent  of  Schools 


138  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

of  Pocahontas  County  are  the  following:  C.  J.  Stulting,  S.  B.  Hannah, 
Uriah  Bird,  H.  M.  Lockridge,  M.  G.  Mathews,  D.  L.  Barlow.  James  W. 
Warwick  and  J.  B.  Grimes,  the  present  incumbent,  who  was  re-elected 
November  6,  1906,  to  succeed  himself. 

When  this  county  was  formed,  school  facilities  were  very  poor. 
Tkere  were  a  few  select  schools;  but,  to  reach  these,  some  of  the 
children  had  to  travel  several  miles  and  then  spend  the  day  in  a  very 
uncomfortable  manner  —  seated  on  a  bench  prepared  by  splitting  a  log 
into  two  pieces.  Thus  some  of  the  smaller  children  would  sit  all  day  long 
with  their  feet  suspended  above  the  floor.  Yet  from  such  crude  and 
poorly  equipped  school  houses  have  gone  men  whose  influence  has  not 
been  confined  alone  to  their  native  county,  neither  has  it  been  circum- 
scribed by  the  boundaries  of  the  State,  but  it  has  been  felt  throughout 
the  length  and  breadth  of  the  country. 

With  the  material  development  of  our  county,  our  educational  inter- 
ests have  kept  pace,  and  today  we  have  schools  conveniently  located,  so 
that  all  our  youth  may  have  the  benefit  of  a  common  school  education. 

Our  more  ancient  houses  are  being  replaced  with  beautiful  up-to-date 
buildings,  furnished  with  the  best  modern  desks,  and  each  supplied  with 
a  good  selection  of  books  for  a  library. 

We  have  erected  a  dozen  elegant  school  houses  this  year  (1906),  one 
of  which  is  a  beautiful  two-story  brick  building  with  six  class  rooms  and 
a  large  auditorium.  This  house  is  located  in  the  flourishing  town  of 
Marlinton. 

Our  people  are  interested  in  education  as  they  have  never  been  before, 
and  our  motto  shall  ever  be:  Better  teachers,  better  schools  and  better 
ciizens. 


Preston   County. 

ARTHTJB   W.    CABRICO,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

The  public  schools  of  Preston  County  have  had  a  steady  growth 
from  the  time  the  State  was  admitted  into  the  Union,  in  1863,  when 
there  were  fewer  than  twenty  school  houses  in  the  county. 

The  Preston  Academy,  at  Kingwood,  incorporated  January  2,  1841, 
began  its  work  under  the  administration  of  Dr.  Alexander  Martin,  who 
was  afterward  the  first  president  of  the  West  Virginia  University,  and  it 
was  long  a  power  for  good.  A  handsome  brick  structure  has  since  been 
erected  in  its  stead. 

There  are  now  180  school  buildings  in  the  county,  the  majority  of 
which  are  of  frame  construction,  except  those  of  Kingwood  and  Terra 
Alta,  which  are  built  of  brick  and  are  of  modern  construction  and  con- 
venience. These  two  schools  employ  seventeen  teachers.  New  buildings 
are  to  be  erected  this  year  at  Newburg  and  Rowlesburg,  at  a  cost  of  from 
$10,000.00  to  $15,000.00  each. 

Nearly  all  the  school  buildings  in  the  county  are  furnished  with 
modern  seats,  and  the  majority  are  supplied  with  maps,  globes,  mensura- 


WEST  VIRGINIA  139 

tion  blocks  and  reading  charts.  Seventy-five  per  cent,  have  slate  black- 
boards. Recently  constructed  houses  are  built  with  vestibule  or  cloak 
rooms,  and  are  finished  throughout  in  hard  oil.  Quite  a  number  of 
houses  have  recently  been  painted  with  three  coats  of  paint,  inside  and 
out.  All  the  town  and  village  schools  have  libraries,  and  libraries  have 
been  started  in  a  number  of  district  schools.  The  total  valuation  of  all 
school  property  in  the  county  for  the  year  1906  was  $150,000.  The 
county  expended  in  the  year  1906  for  all  school  purposes,  $61,647.00. 
The  total  enumeration  of  white  and  colored  youth  in  1906  was  7,613.  Of 
these  6,076  were  enrolled  in  the  public  schools. 

The  county  employs  210  teachers,  of  whom  80  hold  first  grade  certifi- 
cates. The  average  salary  for  first  grade  certificates  is  $40.00  per  month. 

Of  the  210  teachers,  40  have  been  teaching  more  than  ten  years, 
30  more  than  five  years,  and  30  more  than  three  years. 

Kingwood,  Terra  Alta  and  Tunnelton  high  schools  have  each  a  seven- 
months'  term  and  Rowlesburg  has  an  eight-months'  term.  All  the  districts 
have  a  five-months'  term  except  Lyon,  which  has  six. 

Teachers'  District  Institutes  have  added  materially  to  the  educational 
advancement  of  our  county,  and  are  coming  more  into  the  favor  of 
teachers  and  the  public,  and  are  being  supported  by  our  best  citizens. 

Preston  County  has  produced  from  among  her  early  teachers  one 
Governor,  two  College  Presidents,  one  United  States  Senator  (now  repre- 
senting another  State,)  one  State  Superintendent  of  Schools,  a  Professor 
of  Pedagogy  in  the  West  Virginia  University  and  one  State  Normal  School 
Principal.  The  list  of  County  Superintendents  is  large.  Among  the 
records  may  be  found  the  names  of  James  P.  Smith,  John  H.  Feather; 
B.  M.  Squires,  deceased;  Peter  R.  Smith,  now  living  at  Kingwood;  W.  S. 
Bayles,  deceased;  Joseph  H.  Hawthorne,  now  Circuit  Judge  in  Illinois; 
Aaron  W.  Frederick,  now  teaching  in  California;  Ben  H.  Elsey,  now 
teaching  in  the  public  schools  of  the  county;  William  G.  Conley  an 
eminent  lawyer  of  the  Kingwood  Bar;  Lorain  Fortney,  principal  of  West 
Liberty  State  Normal  School;  Horatio  S.  Whetsell,  editor  of  The  Preston 
County  Journal,  and  Frank  W.  Gandy,  principal  of  the  Terra  Alta  schools. 


Randolph    County. 

BY    W.    J.    LONG,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

Early  in  the  history  of  the  State  of  West  Virginia  the  Legislature  saw 
the  importance  of  education  as  one  of  the  prime  requisites  of  good  citizen- 
ship, and  to  promote  such  citizenship  a  system  of  schools  was  devised  and 
established  by  law,  on  the  liberal  lines  necessary  to  secure  to  all  persons 
between  the  ages  of  six  and  twenty-one  years,  such  education  as  would 
fit  them  to  perform  the  ordinary  business  transactions  of  life.  No  system 
of  self-government  can  long  continue  without  intelligence  on  the  part  of 
the  people  who  exercise  it.  Schools  increase  intelligence;  intelligence 
makes  good  citizens,  and  good  citizens  make  good  government.  West 


140  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

Virginia,  therefore,  put  into  the  structure  of  her  State  government  as  the 
corner  stone  a  system  of  primary  free  schools.  The  township  was  at  first 
made  the  basis  of  educational  work.  The  present  district,  so  far  as  edu- 
cation is  concerned,  remains  with  practically  the  same  functions  as  the 
township. 

Immediately  after  a  system  of  free  schools  was  established  in  West 
Virginia,  the  enterprising  and  patriotic  citizens  of  Randolph  County  set 
about  securing  for  themselves  the  advantages  of  the  system  thus  provided. 
To  this  end  the  county  was  laid  off  into  districts  and  sub-districts;  a 
County  Superintendent  and  Boards  of  Education  were  elected,  trustees 
were  appointed,  school  houses  were  built,  teachers  were  employed  and 
the  schools  were  opened.  The  people  were  eager  to  take  advantage  of 
the  opportunity  afforded,  and  it  was  soon  found  necessary  to  enlarge 
buildings  already  in  use  and  to  construct  new  ones  to  accommodate  the 
school  children  of  the  county. 

The  present  force  of  teachers  show  marked  ambition  and  a  desire  to 
bring  credit  upon  their  office  by  improving  the  work  of  the  schools.  Ac- 
cording to  the  Superintendent's  report  for  1906,  the  value  of  all  school 
property  in  the  county  is  $65,520.00;  this  includes  houses,  lands,  furni- 
ture, apparatus  and  libraries. 

There  are  ten  graded  schools  in  the  county  paying  liberal  salaries  to 
teachers. 

The  town  of  Elkins  began  its  corporate  existence  in  1889.  It  was 
then  a  small  village,  giving  little  promise  of  the  thriving  town  it  has  now 
become.  Its  present  population  is  estimated  to  be  4,500  and  is  steadily 
increasing.  From  its  youthfulness  the  brevity  of  its  educational  history 
may  be  inferred.  The  expansion  of  the  public  school  has  kept  pace  with, 
the  increase  of  population  and  it  is  not  claiming  too  much  to  say  that  in 
thoroughness  of  organization  and  instruction  and  in  practical  efficiency  it 
is  second  to  few  or  none  oi  the  schools  of  the  State. 

A  history  of  educational  progress  in  Randolph  County  would  be  in- 
complete without  some  mention  of  Davis  and  Elkins  College.  The  building 
for  this  institution  occupies  a  commanding  eminence  in  the  southern 
suburb  of  Elkins.  The  college  is  under  the  management  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church.  The  Lexington  Presbytery  raised  a  specified  amount  of 
money  and  the  additional  sum  needed  to  furnish  and  equip  the  building 
was  contributed  by  ex-Senator  Henry  G.  Davis.  The  total  cost  of  the 
building  was  about  $60,000. 


Ritchie    County. 

BY   L.    II.    HAYHUBST,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

Ritchie  County  lies  almost  entirely  in  the  valley  of  Hughes  river  which 
was  discovered  and  named  in  1772  by  Jesse  Hughes.  It  continued 
an  unbroken  wilderness  until  "The  State  Road"  was  built  from  Clarks- 
burg to  Marietta  about  the  year  1800.  At  this  time  a  few  isolated  set- 


WEST  VIRGINIA  141 

tlements  were  started  and  John  Webster  built  the  old  "Stone  House," 
the  oldest  house  in  the  county,  which  is  still  standing  in  Pennsboro  in 
a,  good  state  of  preservation. 

Ritchie  County  was  formed  in  1843  from  parts  of  Wood,  Harrison  and 
Lewis.  Up  to  this  time  but  very  little  is  known  of  its  history.  There 
were  but  very  few  roads,  mere  paths  connected  the  widely  separated 
settlements.  Its  progress  was  very  slow  until  the  construction  of  the 
Northwestern  Turnpike  and  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad.  Since 
that  time  it  has  rapidly  improved. 

Until  the  founding  of  the  present  free  school  system,  our  schools 
were  run  by  private  subscription.  The  houses  were  inconvenient  and 
uncomfortable  log  structures.  The  teachers  taught  whenever  they  thought 
it  would  pay,  and  they  generally  agreed  to  teach  only  reading,  writing, 
spelling  and  arithmetic.  These  schools  and  teachers  did  a  great  work. 

John  Ayres  came  from  Rockbridge  County,  Virginia,  and  taught  in 
1810,  the  first  school  in  the  county  at  the  mouth  of  Cedar  run,  in  a  house 
that  had  been  used  as  a  dwelling.  The  first  school  house  was  erected 
in  1814  on  the  land  now  owned  by  William  Kennedy,  who  lives  two  miles 
below  Smithville.  The  second  teacher  was  Samuel  Rittenhouse,  who 
tame  from  Harrison  County;  the  third,  Adam  Deem,  Jr.,  who  came  from 
Pennsylvania;  the  fourth,  Barcus  Ayres,  son  of  John  Ayres,  the  first 
teacher. 

There  are  now  one  hundred  and  fifty-three  frame  and  three  brick 
houses.  In  some  parts  of  the  county  the  houses  are  located  entirely 
too  close  together,  some  not  being  more  than  a  mile  apart.  As  a  result, 
we  have  a  great  number  of  schools  that  are  so  small  that  they  are  al- 
most worthless.  The  question  of  consolidation  of  schools  is  a  very  im- 
portant one  in  some  parts  of  this  county. 

Last  year,  1906,  there  was  in  the  county  an  enumeration  of  6,103,  an 
enrollment  of  5,044,  and  an  average  daily  attendance  of  4,088.  The  schools 
in  1906,  cost  $59,405.25;  $39,947.78  of  this  being  paid  to  one  hundred  and 
eeventy-nine  teachers. 

The  length  of  school  term  in  Ritchie  County  in  Clary  and  Grant  dis- 
tricts is  six  months,  and  in  Murphy  and  Union,  five.  The  salary  for  num- 
ber one  teachers  ranges  from  $40  to  $45  per  month. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  County  Superintendents  of  this  county, 
all  of  whom  are  living  but  the  first:  James  Wood,  J.  M_  McKinney, 
farmer  living  near  Pennsboro;  F.  H.  Martin,  T.  W.  Ireland,  P.  W.  Morris, 
editor  Parkersburg  State  Journal;  J.  N.  Kendall,  a  minister  living  in  Tex- 
as; George  W.  Lowther,  B.  &  O.  ticket  agent  at  Graf  ton;  H.  C.  Showalter, 
postmaster  at  Harrisville;  M.  K.  Duty,  member  of  the  State  Legislature; 
C.  E.  Haddox,  warden  of  the  State  Penitentiary;  J.  H.  Nichols,  H.  B. 
Woods,  judge  of  the  Circuit  Court  of  Pleasants,  Ritchie  and  Gilmer  coun- 
ties; D.  B.  Strickling  and  S.  M.  Hoff,  Prosecuting  Attorney  of  Ritchie 
Countiy. 

Ritchie  County  is  divided  into  the  following  districts:  Clay,  Grant, 
Murphy  and  Union. 

Clay  is  the  most  northern  district.     Its  first  school  was  taught  by 


142  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

John  McCauley  in  a  log  cabin  on  Lynn  Camp.  It  now  has  forty-five 
schools  with  an  enrollment  of  1,177.  It  has  three  graded  schools,  Mole 
Hill,  Whiskey  Run,  and  Pennsboro.  The  last  is  the  largest  school  in  the 
county,  employing  eight  teachers  and  doing  two  years  of  high  school 
work. 

Grant  is  the  most  western  district  and  the  largest.  Its  first  school 
was  taught  by  John  Piatt  on  Rush  Run,  one  mile  from  Cairo.  It  has 
forty-nine  schools  with  an  enrollment  of  1,447,  and  three  graded  schools, 
Oil  Ridge,  Cornwallis  and  Cairo.  Cairo  has  an  eight  months  term,  em- 
ploys six  teachers  and  has  two  years  high  school  work. 

Murphy,  the  most  southern  district,  has  forty-three  schools,  one  graded, 
Smithville,  and  an  enrollment  of  1,275. 

Union  the  most  eastern  district  is  the  smallest.  Its  first  school  was 
taught  by  P.  F.  Randolph  in  1818.  It  has  thirty-five  schools,  three  of  which 
are  graded,  Auburn,  Berea  and  Pullman.  The  enrollment  of  the  district 
is  911. 

Harrisville  Independent  District  was  formed  in  1883.  It  is  now  one 
of  the  best  schools  in  the  county.  The  school  building  contains  six  rooms 
and  an  auditorium  with  a  seating  capacity  of  200.  It  has  a  library  of 
over  500  volumes  and  does  two  years  of  high  school  work. 

This  history  would  not  be  complete  without  a  short  sketch  of  the 
life  of  General  Thomas  Maley  Harris  who  was  born  near  where  the  de- 
pot at  Harrisville  now  stands,  in  1813,  and  died  September  30,  1906.  Gen- 
eral Harris  had  witnessed  the  growth  of  the  county  from  the  time  it  was 
a  "howling  wilderness"  till  the  present.  He  attended  the  schools  of  his 
time,  studied  and  practiced  medicine  until  the  beginning  of  the  Civil 
War.  He  entered  the  Union  Army  and  rapidly  rose  to  the  rank  of  Brig- 
adier General.  He  was  a  member  of  the  court  that  tried  the  conspirators 
that  had  formed  a  plot  to  assassinate  the  leading  members  of  the  Gov- 
ernment. At  the  close  of  the  war  he  returned  to  his  home  at  Harrisville. 
Probably  no  one  in  the  county  could  see  the  need  of  educational  advance- 
ment as  could  he.  He  gave  a  five  acre  tract  of  land  to  the  county  upon 
which  it  might  erect  what  would  be  known  as  the  T.  M.  Harris  High 
School.  The  Legislature  of  1905  passed  an  act  submitting  the  matter  to 
a  vote  of  the  people  in  1906.  There  arose  a  great  difference  of  opinion 
and  in  spite  of  all  its  friends  could  do  for  it,  it  was  badly  defeated. 

While  it  is  true  the  High  School  was  voted  down  the  schools  of  the 
county  are  improving  and  we  have  ample  facilities  for  all  who  will  at- 
tend. There  are  eleven  graded  schools  in  the  county,  three  of  which  do 
high  school  work. 

The  Reading  Circle,  the  district  institute,  and  the  system  of  uniform 
examinations  are  helping  the  teachers  of  the  county  towards  the  develop- 
ment of  better  methods  and  broader  culture. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  143- 

Summers    County. 

BY   GEO.   W.   LILLY,   SUPERINTENDENT. 

Summers  County  lies  in  the  Southern  part  of  West  Virginia.  It  was 
established  by  an  Act  of  the  West  Virginia  Legislature  in  February,  1871r 
and  organized  in  the  following  March.  It  was  formed  from  territory  then 
belonging  to  the  counties  of  Fayette,  Greenbrier,  Mercer  and  Monroe. 

The  close  of  the  war  found  the  territory  now  embraced  in  the  county, 
practically  without  both  schools  and  churches  and  it  was  not  until  about 
the  year  18G8,  that  any  interest  was  manifested  in  either  schools  or 
churches.  That  portion  of  the  county  taken  from  Fayette  had  not  a 
single  school.  From  Greenbrier  County's  territory  we  received,  as  nearly 
as  I  can  learn,  not  more  than  four  schools;  from  Mercer  County  six,  and 
from  Monroe  county  six,  making  a  total  of  sixteen  in  the  county  at  its 
formation;  and  immediately  after  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution  of 
1872,  which  prescribed  that  the  Legislature  should  provide  for  a 
"thorough  and  efficient  system  of  Free  Schools,"  our  people  awoke  from 
their  lethargy  and  made  rapid  strides  until  our  system  to-day  is  as  good 
as  can  possibly  be  made  under  the  existing  circumstances. 

The  primitive  school  buildings  (a  few  of  which  are  still  standing) 
were  very  rude  structures,  being  built  by  the  public  spirited  citizens 
without  cost  to  the  county  or  district.  These  houses  were  only  sixteen 
feet  square,  without  any  chimney  (one  end  of  the  house  being  left  un- 
covered for  the  space  of  five  feet  to  afford  a  passage  for  the  smoke),  the 
whole  end  being  used  as  a  place  in  which  to  build  fires.  The  furniture 
consisted  of  small  logs  split  into  halves  and  "pegs"  used  as  legs.  These 
houses  were  all  "cabined  off,"  covered  with  boards  held  down  by  "weight 
poles,"  and  only  a  very  few  floored  with  "puncheons,"  the  others  having 
the  bare  earth  for  floors.  Windows  were  unknown,  and  a  rough  board 
was  used  as  a  "writing  desk."  The  teachers  were  scarce,  none  trained 
in  colleges,  normals  or  high  schools,  and  teachers  that  were  proficient 
in  the  three  R's,  "Reading,"  "Kiting"  and  "Rithmetic,"  were  in  con- 
stant demand  at  salaries  ranging  from  fourteen  to  twenty  dollars  per 
month,  and  when  such  teachers  could  be  secured  they  were  considered 
quite  a  luxury. 

During  the  ten  years  extending  from  1890  to  1900,  there  was  the 
greatest  possible  activity  among  the  friends  of  education.  Boards  of  Ed- 
ucation throughout  the  county  were  then  discarding  the  old  log  buildings, 
and  erecting  new  frame  cottages,  supplying  them  with  ample  light,  black- 
boards and  the  best  of  modern  school  furniture,  and  many  of  them,  ap- 
paratus. In  1890,  the  schools  of  Summers  County  had  increased  from  16 
at  its  organization  to  120  primary  schools,  two  graded  and  one  High 
School. 

But  at  no  time  in  the  history  of  Summers  County  has  the  zeal 
for  education  been  greater  than  at  the  present.  All  the  old  buildings 
have  been  replaced  by  modern  ones,  with  ample  room,  light  and  modern 
furniture,  cloak  room  and  everything  for  the  convenience  and  health  of 
both  teachers  and  pupils.  These  buildings  are  24x36  feet,  14  from  floor 


144  HISTOEY  OF  EDUCATION 

to  ceiling;  they  have  eight  large  windows,  and  are  well  equipped,  with 
modern  furnishings.  Their  total  cost  ranges  from  $850.00  to  $1,000.00 
each. 

In  1903,  a  system  of  examination  known  as  the  "uniform  system" 
went  into  effect.  This  system  raised  the  standard  of  the  teachers,  and 
this,  together  with  the  material  development  of  the  State,  has  produced 
a  shortage  of  teachers,  from  which  our  schools  are  now  suffering.  The 
material  development  of  the  State  has  opened  many  positions  to  teachers 
at  salaries  far  above  that  offered  by  Boards  ot  Education,  and  conse- 
quently, our  schools  have  lost  many  of  her  efficient  teachers 

Such-  has  been  the  zeal  of  Summers  County's  citizenship,  that  every 
obstacle  has  been  gallantly  met  and  overcome,  and  school  property  is 
guarded  as  a  treasure,  the  value  of  which  cannot  be  computed.  Summers 
County,  at  its  organization,  could  not  boast  property  worth  one  cent;  and 
now  at  the  opening  of  1907,  she  has  to  her  credit  property  worth 
$200,000. 

Summers  County  now  has  161  schools,  in  which  are  employed  175 
well  equipped  teachers,  at  an  average  salary  oi  $33.00  per  month,  has 
•enrolled  5,000  pupils  from  a  total  enumeration  of  6,800,  and  has  an  aver- 
age daily  attendance  of  3,850  at  an  annual  cost  per  capita  of  $12.35, 
based  on  attendance  $8.70  based  on  enrollment  and  $6.54  based  on  the 
enumeration. 

At  its  organization  and  for  several  years  thereafter,  Summers  County 
liad  only  on  lady  teacher,  Miss  Mollie  Jordan,  daughter  of  Gordon  L. 
Jordan,  Summers  County's  first  representative  in  the  West  Virginia  Leg- 
islature. At  this  time  seventy-five  per  cent  of  our  noble  and  true  hearted 
teachers  are  ladies. 

The  upbuilding  of  the  present  system  in  the  County  has  been  material- 
ly aided  by  her  efficient  county  superintendents,  viz: 

John  Pack  from  the  formation  of  the  county  to  1873. 

C.  L.    Ellison,   Forest   Hill   District,    1873    to    1877,    two   terms. 

D.  G.  Lilly,  Jumping  Branch  District,  1877  to  1881,  two  terms. 
Jas.  H.  Miller,  Green  Sulphur  District,  1881  to  1883,  one  term. 
H.  F.  Kesler,  Talcott  District,  1883  to  1885,  one  term. 

C.  A.  Clark,  Pipestem  District,  1885  to  1887,  one  term. 

V.  V.  Austin,  Pipestem  District,  1887  to  1889,  one  term. 

J.  F.  Lilly,  Jumping  Branch  District,  1889  to  1891,  one  term. 

Geo.  W.  Lilly,  Jumping  Branch  District,  1891  to  1893,  one  term. 

J.  M.  Parker,  Jumping  Branch  District,  1893  to  1895,  one  term. 

Geo.  W.  Leftwich,  Forest  Hill  District,  1895  to  1899,  one  term. 

H.  F.  Kesler,  Talcott  District,  1899  to  1903,  one  term. 

Geo.  W.  Lilly,  Jumping  Branch  District,  1903  to  1907,  one  term. 

J.  E.  Keadle,  1907,  Term  beginning  July  1st. 

THE    HINTON    HIGH    SCHOOL. 

At  the  formation  of  Summers  County  the 'territory  embraced  in  the 
districts  of  Greenbrier  and  Talcott,  formed  only  one  District,  Green- 
Tirier,  and  supported  only  six  schools. 

In  the  year  1874,  the  number  had  increased  to  13,  and  in  that  year, 


PARKERSBUBG   HIGH   SCHOOL. 


CHARLESTON  HIGH  SCHOOL. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  145 

a.  Building  Committee  consisting  of  W.  W.  Adams,  C.  A.  Fredeking,  M. 
V.  Galloway  and  C.  A.  Sperry,  was  appointed  to  provide  suitable  specifi- 
cations and  let  to  contract  a  school  house  in  sub-district  No.  13,  which 
house  was  erected  by  E.  A.  Weeks  at  the  price  of  six  hundred  and  seventy- 
five  dollars;  this  is  the  foundation  of  the  Hinton  High  School. 

This  new  building  was  opened  in  the  fall  of  1875,  with  W.  R.  Thomp- 
son and  Miss  Anna  Hoge  as  teachers.  Mrs.  W.  W.  Adams  had  previously 
taught  in  a  rented  building.  W.  R.  Thompson  was  succeeded  by  Harvey 
Ewart  with  Miss  Lida  French  as  assistant.  Next  came  Rufus  Alderson 
and  Miss  Hoge,  who  were  followed  by  John  J.  Cabell,  Major  J.  S.  Rudd 
and  J.  H.  Jordan,  with  Misses  Anna  Hoge,  Jennie  Hamer  and  Nannie  Mc- 
Creery. 

His  Honor,  Judge  James  H.  Miller,  taught  in  this  school  in  1877,  fol- 
lowing H.  Ewart.  Miss  Anna  Hoge  was  his  assistant.  He  again  took 
charge  of  the  school  in  1880,  with  Miss  Mariah  Beasly  as  his  assistant,  and 
in  1881,  with  C.  A.  Clark  as  assistant. 

J.  F.  Holroyd  opened  the  first  school  in  what  is  known  as  the  City 
of  Avis,  in  the  same  year,  which  school  has  since  grown  successively  to 
two,  three  and  four  rooms,  and  has  recently  been  made  a  branch  of  the 
Hinton  High  School. 

In  1887,  our  people  determined  that  their  children  should  have  bet- 
ter educational  facilities,  and  tiring  of  sending  them  away  to  other  schools, 
they  filed  a  petition  with  the  School  Board,  then  consisting  of  J.  C.  James, 
President;  S.  W.  Willey  and  James  Briers,  Commissioners,  and  J.  M.  Car- 
den,  Secretary,  asking  for  the  establishing  of  a  District  High  School. 
The  proposition  was  submitted  to  a  vote  of  the  people,  and  carried  by  a 
large  majority.  In  accordance  with  the  expressed  wish  of  the  people  a 
High  School  was  established  with" four  teachers,  viz:  J.  H.  Jordan,  Princi- 
pal;'V.  V.  Austin,  Miss  Mary  Ewart  and  Miss  Nannie  McCreery,  assistants. 

The  grounds  cover  eight  full  size  city  building  lots,  four  of  which  were 
donated  to  the  Board  of  Education  by  the  Central  Land  Co.  of  West  Vir- 
ginia, and  the  remaining  four  were  purchased.  These  grounds  alone  are 
now  worth  about  $60,000. 

The  first  building  was  a  brick  structure  containing  four  rooms,  but 
soon  after  the  Board  found  it  necessary  to  add  two  rooms,  which  with 
this  addition  was  sufficient  to  accommodate  the  pupils  until  1895,  and  in 
which  year  it  was  determined  to  erect  a  more  spacious  building  and 
^quip  it  with  all  modern  appliances  for  the  continually  growing  enroll- 
ment. The  building  was  supposed  to  cost  about  $20,000,  and  the  Board 
was  forced  to  borrow  $12,000;  with  this  amount  the  Board  could  raise 
a  sufficient  fund  to  build  the  house.  Accordingly,  an  election  was  or- 
dered to  be  held  December  31,  1895,  which  resulted  in  a  majority  of  301  to 
16  in  its  favor.  Work  was  immediately  commenced  on  the  structure  and 
the  fall  of  1896,  marks  its  completion  in  time  for  the  opening  of  the 
school.  New  branches  have  been  added  from  time  to  time  and  addi- 
tional teachers  employed  until  now  the  opening  of  1907,  finds  it  second 
to  no  school  in  Southern  West  Virginia. 

The  first  Board  of  Education  of  Greenbrier  district,  consisted  of  Robert 
H.  Wikel,  President;  James  Boyd  and  M,  A.  Manning,  Commissioners; 


146  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

and  S.  W.  Willey,  Secretary.  Under  this  Board  the  first  election  for 
authorizing  a  school  levy  was  held.  There  were  cast  187  votes;  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty-six  were  cast  in  favor  of  the  levy,  and  one  against  it. 

J.  T.  Huffman,  President;  S.  W.  Willey  and  James  Sims,  Commission- 
ers, and  J.  B.  Lavender,  Secretary,  comprised  the  Board  of  Education 
under  which  the  new  building  was  erected. 

The  present  Board,  Wm.  H.  Sawyers,  President;  R.  E.  Noel  and  J. 
D.  Roles,  Commissioners,  and  W.  E.  Price,  Secretary,  have  been  untiring 
in  their  efforts  to  make  this  the  best  school  in  the  state. 

Especial  care  has  been  taken  to  make  the  sanitary  conditions  good; 
much  new  furniture  and  apparatus  have  been  recently  added,  until  now 
the  buildings,  grounds  and  appointments  are  valued  at  $150,000.  The  en- 
rollment is  now  825,  with  an  average  daily  attendance  of  700.  The 
school  consists  of  the  primary  grades  and  the  High  School  department.  Af- 
ter graduating  from  the  High  School  a  pupil  is  prepared  to  enter  the 
West  Virginia  University. 

Jno.  D.  Sweeney  was  appointed  as  the  first  Superintendent  of  Hinton 
Schools  in  the  fall  of  1899.  He  was  succeeded  in  the  fall  of  1900  by  H.  F. 
Fleshman,  who  held  the  position  for  a  period  of  four  years,  during  which 
time  the  school  made  rapid  progress.  Mr.  Fleshman  was  succeeded  by 
I.  B.  Bush  in  the  fall  of  1904,  who  is  now  in  charge  of  the  city  schools 
with  a  corps  fcof  twenty-one  well  equipped  teachers,  four  of  whom  are  in- 
the  high  school  department. 

The  high  school  course  consists  of  four  full  years  work,  and  gradu- 
ates are  admitted  to  a  number  of,  our'  leading  universities  and  colleges, 
without  examination.  Scholarships  have  been  awarded  to  its  graduates 
by  Washington  and  Lee  and  Tulane  Universities.  The  following  schools 
are  represented  by  their  graduates  in  the  High  School  corps  of  teachers: 
West  Virginia  University,  Vanderbilt  University,  Dickinson  College,  Ran- 
dolph-Macon  Woman's  College  and  Woman's  College  at  Richmond. 

The  grades  are  taught  by  eighteen  well  equipped  teachers,  graduates 
of  seminaries,  high  and  normal  schools.  Music  and  drawing  were  in- 
troduced in  the  fall  of  1906,  and  great  progress  has  been  shown  under 
competent  supervisors  who  are  in  charge  of  these  subjects. 

Superintendent  Bush  is  a  ripe  scholar,  a  genial  gentleman,  and  to  his 
untiring  energy  is  due  the  fact  that  in  the  spring  of  1906,  the  Board  of 
Education  submitted  a  proposition  to  issue  bonds  for  $25,000  for  the  erec- 
tion of  an  additional  High  School  building,  which  bond  issue  carried  by 
an  overwhelming  majority,  and  the  Board  has  now  under  process  of  con- 
struction a  magnificent  new  building  on  a  site,  costing  $10,000,  which  when 
completed  and  furnished  will  add  $75,000  to  the  value  of  the  High  School 
property. 

GBADED    SCHOOLS. 

Graded  Schools  have  been  established  as  follows: 

In  the  town  of  Avis,  in  1891,  with  two  teachers.  Two  more  have 
since  been  added.  In  1905,  this  school  was  made  a  branch  of  the  High 
School.  Prof.  H.  O.  Curry  is  now  Principal  with  three  well  equipped 


WEST  VIRGINIA  147 

teachers   as   assistants.     Prof.   Curry    is   a   scholarly   gentleman   and    to 
him  is  due  the  present  high  standing  of  this  school. 

At  Green  Sulphur  Springs,  with  Miss  Ella  George  a  lady  of  splendid 
attainments,  as  Principal,  with  one  assistant  teacher: 

At  New  Richmond,  with  Miss  Irene  Hoke  as  Principal,  with  one  as- 
sistant teacher: 

At  Talcott,  Prof.  M.  E.  Garden,  as  principal,  with,  at  the  present, 
only  one  associate  teacher;  but  the  growing  interest  will  in  the  near 
future  make  necessary  the  employment  of  two  more: 

At  Jumping  Branch,  with  Mr.  Lee  Harper,  a  teacher  of  several  years 
experience,  as  principal,  with  one  assistant.  This  school  has  been  since 
its  establishment,  doing  good  work,  and  the  citizens  are  very  proud 
of  it.  Ere  long  the  increasing  enrollment  will  make  necessary  addition- 
al teachers. 

The  Hinton  Colored  School,  established  as  a  graded  school  in  1897, 
employing  four  teachers,  is  well  appointed  and  affords  a  means  by  which 
the  colored  youth  are  acquiring  a  splendid  education.  Graduates  from 
this  school  are  admitted  to  the  leading  colored  schools  of  the  country. 
The  school  biuldings,  grounds,  furniture  and  apparatus  are  valued  at 
$10,000. 

These  schools  are  all  doing  good  work,  and  in  the  near  future  it  will 
be  necessary  to  establish  other  graded  schools  in  the  county. 


Taylor    County. 

BY  DELLET  NEWLON,   SUPERINTENDENT. 

Taylor  County,  named  in  honor  of  Hon.  John  Taylor  of  Carolina,  the 
'illustrious  exponent  of  the  doctrine  of  strict  construction,  so  popular  in 
eastern  Virginia.  It  was  formed  from  parts  of  Barbour,  Harrison  and 
Marion  counties  in  1844,  and  has  an  area  of  150  square  miles.  The  county 
seat  is  Grafton. 

The  schools  prior  to  the  adoption  of  the  public  free  school  system 
were  subscription  schools,  and  were  largely  patronized.  They  were  Iwpt 
in  the  old  log  school  houses,  out  of  which  came  some  of  our  educational 
leaders  of  to-day. 

The  pioneer  teachers  of  our  county  were  not  as  well  versed  in  liter- 
ature as  those  of  to-day,  yet  they  served  their  purpose  for  that  time,  and 
some  of  our  teachers  and  leaders  remember  them  with  gratitude,  for  it 
was  from  them  that  they  received  the  foundation  for  their  education. 

Taylor  County,  exclusive  of  Grafton  Independent  District,  has  65 
school  buildings,  in  which  seventy-five  teachers  are  employed.  Most  of 
the  schools  are  supplied  with  apparatus,  such  as  mathematical  blocks, 
charts,  maps  and  globes.  A  number  of  the  schools  have  slate  black 
boards. 

Of  the  75  schools  taught  in  this  county,  five  are  colored,  which  are 
among  the  best,  being  taught  by  trained  colored  teachers. 


148  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

Salaries  of  the  teachers  range  from  $35  to  $45  per  month  for  a  No. 
1  certificate,  from  $30  to  $40  for  No.  2,  and  from  $25  to  $30  for  No.  3. 

The  county  is  divided  into  seven  Districts,  five  of  which  are  rural 
and  two  independent.  The  rural  Districts  have  only  five  months'  school, 
but  hope  to  have  a  longer  term  soon. 

The  natural  wealth  of  the  county,  such  as  coal  and  gas  is  just  being 
developed.  In  Court  House  District  one  of  the  finest  coal  plants  in  West 
Virginia  has  been  completed.  It  is  equipped  with  mode-n  machinery,  aud 
everything  is  up  to  date.  The  putting  in  of  this  plant  caused  the  build- 
ing of  the  town  of  Wendell,  adding  materially  to  our  school  revenues  in 
this  District.  We  welcome  all  industries  that  tend  in  this  direction. 

There  have  been  two  modern  school  houses  built  in  the  cpunty  this 
year.  The  outlook  for  the  schools  in  the  county  is  very  encouraging.  Ev- 
erything points  towards  District  High  schools. 

I  am  glad  to  report  a  growing  sentiment  in  favor  of  longer  terms, 
better  buildings,  increased  salaries.  We  regard  these  as  very  important 
in  order  to  obtain  the  best  teachers  possible,  and  Taylor  County  is  able 
to  have  all  of  these. 

Our  District  institutes  have  aided  us  very  materially  and  especially 
so  in  getting  the  sentiment  of  the  people  as  regards  what  they  favor. 

The  High  School  in  Flemington  District,  which  was  established 
four  years  ago,  has  developed  from  a  poorly  graded  school  to  a  good 
High  School.  It  now  employs  four  teachers  and  is  doing  work  in 
all  the  grades  from  the  primary  to  and  including  the  High  School  course. 
It  is  under  the  able  management  of  Frank  J.  Tracy  as  principal  and  W. 
E.  Tomblyn  as  assistant.  A  word  of  commendation  for  the  Board  of 
Education  of  Flemington  District  is  not  out  of  place  here.  In  the  face 
of  opposition  and  misunderstanding  this  board  labored  earnestly  and  suc- 
cessfully to  establish  and  give  to  the  people  of  Flemington  District  a 
good  school.  The  board  is  composed  of  the  following  gentlemen:  John 
B.  Gather,  John  Boss  and  Baxter  Holler. 

The  progress  of  the  schools  in  this  county  as  a  whole  is  not  what  we 
had  hoped  for;  but  with  the  aim  in  view  to  push  on  and  grow  we  do  not 
•care  to  be  classed  as  the  poorest  nor  as  the  best. 


Tucker    County. 

BY    C.    U.    ADAMS,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

Tucker  County  was  formed  from  territory  belonging  to  Randolph 
County  in  1856.  Most  of  it  at  that  time  was  primeval  forests.  The 
fertile  valley  along  Cheat  river  and  other  most  inviting  locations  were 
sparsely  settled,  ther^  being  no  cities  or  towns  at  this  time. 

Prior  to  1803  there  were  a  few  log  huts — not  over  a  dozen — used  as 
school  houses.  Churches  were  frequently  used  for  schools  in  those  neigh- 
borhoods that  were  fortunate  enough  to  have  them.  These  schools  were 
maintained  and  patronized  by  those  families  that  were  able  to  pay  tui- 


WEST  VIRGINIA  149 

tion,  and  the  children  af  the  poorer  class  got  little  or  no  school  training. 
The  teachers  were  very  poorly  paid  and  of  very  limited  education  as  a 
rule.  They  governed  with  the  rod,  and  in  this  crude  way  succeeded  in 
knocking  off  the  bumps  and  turning  out  some  good  citizens,  many  of 
whom  are  now  the  sinew  and  backbone  of  this  county.  Others  of  them 
have  been  able  to  rise  to  distinction  in  the  West — having  heeded  Gree- 
ley's  admonition  "Young  man,  go  West." 

Teachers'  Institutes  were  unknown  and  each  teacher  pursued  his  own 
course  whether  he  knew  anything  about  the  pedagogical  training  and  de- 
velopment of  the  child  mind  or  not.  Possibly  the  first  regular  teachers' 
institute  was  held  at  St.  George  in  1881;  it  was  conducted  by  Prof.  U.  S. 
Fleming.  From  this  time  on  there  has  been  a  gradual  unifying  of  the 
schools  in  various  ways  until  to-day  we  have  three  or  four  schools  doing 
some  high  school  work,  with  a  definite  course  of  study;  others  having  a 
prescribed  graded  course,  and  all  carrying  out  at  least  in  part  the  graded 
course  prescribed  for  the  common  schools.  The  institutes  have  grown 
in  interest  and  attendance  until  they  are  considered  a  necessary  adjunct 
of  our  school  system.  The  annual  county  institute  is  not  considered  suffi- 
cient either,  but  the  energetic  teachers  in  most  of  the  magisterial  districts 
have  district  institutes  and  reading  circles  at  frequent  intervals  during 
the  school  term,  where  teachers,  school  officers,  parents,  and  pupils  fre- 
quently congregate  and  come  in  closer  touch  with  each  other,  adding  sys- 
tem, experience,  interest,  and  enthusiasm  to  the  cause. 

Of  course  the  county  superintendents  have  been  factors  in  this  work 
in  directing  it  by  suggestion  and  otherwise.  Among  the  first  of  these  were 
A.  H.  Bowman,  Philitus  Lipscomb,  W.  B.  Maxwell,  L.  S.  Auvil,  H.  J.  Du- 
mire,  C.  W.  Long,  J.  D.  Stalnaker,  and  Elmer  Bowers,  who  are  now  de- 
ceased, or  engaged  in  other  callings;  also  J.  M.  Shaffer,  A.  C.  Shaffer,  J. 
W.  Ramsey,  C.  U.  Adams,  and  A.  E.  Michaels  still  in  the  profession. 

There  are  over  one  hundred  teachers  employed  in  the  county  at  this 
time  with  salaries  of  principals  ranging  from  $300  to  $1200  per  term,  and 
of  other  teachers,  from  $100  to  $400  per  term  approximately. 

Nearly  3,500  pupils  are  enrolled  in  these  schools  with  an  average  attend- 
ance of  about  2,200  daily.  There  are  72  school  buildings  varying  from  one 
room  buildings  20x30  feet,  to  the  commodious  fourteen-room  brick  and 
stone  structure  at.  Davis.  These  buildings  with  few  exceptions  are  pro- 
vided with  improved  furniture,  maps,  charts,  globes,  dictionaries,  encyclo- 
pedias, and  mechanical  blocks,  to  assist  the  teacher  in  his  work. 

Many  of  the  teachers  are  taking  active  steps  to  furnish  and  direct  the 
reading  of  the  pupils  by  organizing  libraries. s  We  now  have  about  two 
thousand  volumes  in  our  school  libraries  and  the  good  work  is  going  on, 
thanks  to  our  noble,  self-sacrificing,  energetic  teachers.  May  they  never 
weary  in  well  doing. 


Tyler    County. 

BY   D.   L.    TALKINGTON,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

Education  in  Tyler  County  previous  to  the  establishment  of  the  free 


150  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

school  system  was  in  a  very  crude  condition.  Agriculture  was  the  chief 
industry,  and  it  required  about  all  of  the  time  of  the  hardy  farmer  to 
acquire  the  necessities  of  the  home.  Education  was  then  a  luxury  which 
but  few  could  enjoy.  Though  the  farmer  wished  to  educate  his  children, 
he  had  not  the  means  to  pay  for  their  tuition,  and  in  many  instances  the 
children  could  not  be  spared  from  the  farm.  But  as  the  years  passed  by 
conditions  changed.  Other  industries  sprang  up;  oil  and  gas  were  dis- 
covered. Dame  Nature  smiled  graciously  on  all.  Many  farms,  whose 
chief  products  were  greenbriers,  ragweeds  and  tax  bills,  soon  were  spout- 
ing forth  abundantly  streams  of  rich  yellow  liquid  bringing  immediate 
wealth  to  the  poor  farmer  who  had  for  years  been  toiling  hard  and 
earnestly  over  the  rough  and  rugged  hills. 

Before  the  free  schools  were  established  the  only  opportunities  offered 
the  youth  for  intellectual  improvement  were  in  private  schools,  and  very 
poor  ones  they  were.  There  is  nothing  that  shows  progress  more  vividly 
than  to  contrast  one  of  the  "old  field"  schools  with  one  of  our  schools  of 
today.  The  private  school  was  established  usually  in  this  manner:  Some 
teacher,  or,  as  he  was  more  commonly  called,  a  master,  would  wander  into 
the  community  from  Ohio  or  Pennsylvania;  a  contract  would  be  circulated 
around  among  the  citizens,  who  would  sign  a  certain  number  of  pupils 
and  agree  to  pay  a  certain  sum  of  money  to  the  master  for  tuition.  If 
there  was  no  building  in  the  community  that  could  be  used  as  a  school 
house,  a  crude  log  structure  would  be  hastily  prepared.  The  heating 
apparatus  was  usually  a  huge  fireplace  occupying  most  of  one  end  of 
the  room.  A  broad  slab  supported  by  wooden  pins  in  the  wall  formed 
the  writing  desk,  the  seats  were  constructed  from  sapplings  about  six 
inches  in  diameter  split  and  cut  into  pieces  five  or  six  feet  long;  two  holes 
were  bored  in  each  end  and  wooden  pegs  inserted,  forming  the  legs  of  the 
seat.  The  master  was  a  person  well  qualified  to  keep  school,  but  unquali- 
fied to  teach  school.  He  was  an  absolute  monarch  in  governing,  and  from 
stories  oft  related  by  our  fathers  and  grand  fathers,  the  lads  in  the  old 
school  had  to  "toe  the  mark." 

So  little  was  done  in  educational  affairs  while  this  county  was  a 
part  of  Virginia  that  it  need  not  be  mentioned  in  this  sketch.  Free 
schools  were  established  in  1865.  The  first  examination  was  held  in 
Sistersville.  Miss  Emiline  Jones,  the  first  applicant,  received  a  second 
grade  certificate.  The  schools  did  not  make  much  progress  till  about 
1880.  At  that  time  the  county  was  supplied  with  buildings  sufficient  to 
accommodate  the  pupils.  By  that  time  all  the  old  log  houses  had  been 
abandoned  and  their  places  filled  by  more  comfortable  frame  buildings. 
Since  then  we  have  made  steady  progress. 

Our  schools  are  in  very  good  condition  at  present.  We  do  not  boast 
of  an  ideal  school  system.  We  see  the  need  of  many  improvements,  many 
which  we  are  now  making  and  others  which  we  hope  to  see  made  in  the 
near  future.  Great  improvement  has  been  made  in  buildings,  and  much 
useful  apparatus  has  been  supplied  during  the  past  few  years.  The 
School  Improvement  League  is  organized  in  this  county  and  has  done 
good  work.  The  school  boards  have  been  interested  and  have  responded 


WEST  VIRGINIA  151 

"by  selecting  more  beautiful  locations  and  erecting  better  buildings.  The 
rural  school  buildings  that  are  being  built  in  this  county  at  the  present 
time  are  not  surpassed  if  equaled  in  any  other  part  of  the  State. 

The  teaching  fraternity  of  Tyler,  we  think  second  to  none  in  the  State. 
Several  of  our  teachers  are  trained  graduates  of  the  Normal  Schools  of 
the  State.  Many  others  are  graduates  of  recognized  high  schools  or  de- 
nominational schools  of  standing,  others  have  attended  the  normal  schools, 
but  have  not  graduated.  Most  of  our  teachers  are  young,  but  they  are 
-enthusiastic  and  industrious  and  do  very  excellent  work. 

Tyler  has  now  130  schools,  with  an  attendance  of  4,230  pupils.  The 
total  enumeration  being  5,375;  over  80  per  cent,  of  the  enumerated  youth 
of  the  county  are  in  attendance  in  the  public  schools.  This  is  a  great 
improvement  over  the  conditions  that  used  to  exist  and  shows  that,  al- 
though the  compulsory  school  law  is  not  as  effective  as  it  should  be,  It 
has  done  much  good.  The  average  term  in  Tyler  is  six  months,  and  the 
average  wages  throughout  the  county  for  first,  second  and  third  grade 
teachers  are,  respectively,  $45.00,  $35.00  and  $30.00  per  month.  The 
average  number  of  pupils  enrolled  in  each  room  of  the  county  and 
village  schools  is  thirty;  in  the  graded  and  high  schools,  forty-two. 

The  Sistersville  public  schools  employ  thirty  teachers  and  have  en- 
rolled over  1,000  pupils.  This  is  an  ideal  school  from  the  primary  rooms 
to  the  high  school.  For  completeness  and  thoroughness  of  the  work  done 
in  all  the  grades  and  in  the  high  school  the  Sistersville  schools  have  few 
equals  south  of  Mason  and  Dixon's  line.  This  school  has  developed  during 
the  last  fifteen  years  from  a  poorly  graded  four-room  school  to  its  present 
proportions  and  efficiency.  Professor  J.  D.  Garrison  is  City  Superintend- 
ent. He  is  a  good  school  man  and  is  maintaining  a  very  high  educational 
sentiment  in  the  city,  as  is  evidenced  by  the  many  improvements  made 
•during  his  administration.  The  high  school  course  has  been  strengthened 
until  it  is  now  one  of  the  accredited  schools  of  the  West  Virginia  Uni- 
versity. Two  courses  are  given  —  the  Latin  and  the  English.  The  Latin 
course  prepares  for  the  University.  The  English  course  is  designed  for 
those  who  are  not  expecting  to  continue  longer  in  school.  Five  teachers 
are  employed  in  the  high  school,  including  the  superintendent.  The 
•departmental  method  of  work  is  in  operation.  Miss  Anna  N.  Elliott  is 
principal  cf  the  high  school  and  in  charge  of  the  department  of  mathe- 
matics. Miss  Elliott  is  a  graduate  of  the  Wheeling  High  School,  a  student 
•of  the  West  Virginia  University,  and  one  of  the  best  teachers  in  the  State. 
Miss  Mary  D.  Hutchinson,  a  recent  graduate  of  Mount  Holyoke  College, 
has  charge  of  the  Latin  and  German  languages.  Miss  Florence  M. 
Ramsey,  another  Mount  Holyoke  graduate,  is  teacher  of  English,  Miss 
Herma  Shriver,  a  graduate  of  Washington  (Pa.)  Seminary  and  Marshall 
College,  has  the  department  of  history.  There  are  no  teachers  employed 
in  the  high  school  or  in  the  grades  who  are  not  graduates  of  a  recognized 
high  school,  normal  school  or  college. 

Music  and  drawing  have  been  added  to  the  curriculum  in  Sistersville 
and  are  in  charge  of  a  special  teacher.  Miss  Mary  L.  Peck,  a  graduate  of 
the  Oberlin  Conservatory  of  Music,  has  charge  of  the  work  and  is  doing 


152  HISTOBY  OF  EDUCATION 

nicely.  A  new  high  school  building  is  in  process  of  erection  at  Sisters- 
ville,  costing  about  $45,000.00 — a  beautiful  two-story  buff  brick  building 
of  fifteen  rooms,  including  a  large  assembly  room  and  a  room  fitted  up 
with  modern  apparatus  as  a  laboratory  for  teaching  chemistry  and 
physics.  The  building  will  have  a  large  campus,  which  can  easily  be 
made  one  of  the  most  beautiful  in  the  State.  The  Ohio  River  and  the 
hills  to  the  west  form  a  very  picturesque  landscape,  viewed  from  the 
building. 

The  Middlebourne  Graded  School  employs  four  teachers  and  has  en- 
rolled 140  pupils.  Professor  Frank  Haught  is  principal  and  is  doing  all 
that  can  be  expected.  The  building  is  too  small  to  accommodate  the  pupils 
properly.  Miss  Hallie  M.  Swan  is  first  assistant.  Mr.  C.  B.  Hamilton  has 
charge  of  the  intermediate  room  and  Miss  Maude  Carpenter  is  primary 
teacher. 

The  Friendly  Graded  School  employs  four  teachers  and  has  enrolled 
120  pupils.  Professor  E.  S.  Lively  is  principal  and  is  doing  good  work, 
ably  assisted  by  the  following  corps  of  teachers:  Mr.  J.  E.  Morgan,  third 
room;  Miss  Maude  Martin,  second  room;  Miss  Eleanor  Horn,  first  room. 
Friendly  has  secured  a  very  suitable  modern  school  building. 

There  are  several  other  schools  in  the  county  I  would  like  to  give 
special  mention,  but  space  will  not  permit.  The  schools  of  the  county 
are  all  doing  nicely;  I  congratulate  the  teachers,  pupils  and  patrons  on 
this  fact  and  hope  that  the  progress  of  the  past  will  continue,  greatly  aug- 
mented in  the  days  that  are  to  come. 

The  proposition  for  the  establishment  of  a  county  high  school  in 
this  county,  submitted  to  the  voters  at  the  last  election,  carried  by  a  large 
majority.  The  Board  of  Directors  have  secured  a  beautiful  site  for  the 
building  at  Middlebourne  and  have  adopted  plans  for  the  erection  of  a 
building  costing  about  $40,000.00.  I  am  proud  that  Tyler  is  the  first  to 
establish  a  county  high  school,  and  hope  that  the  future  of  the  school 
will  be  such  as  to  lead  other  counties  to  emulate  our  example. 


Upshur    County. 

BY    W.    S.    MICK,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

Just  thirty  years  after  the  Pringle  brothers  began  their  pioneer  life 
in  the  hollow  of  the  Sycamore  tree  standing  on  the  south  bank  near  the 
mouth  of  Turkey  Run  and  nine  months  after  the  immortal  Washington 
had  left  the  White  House  to  become  a  private  citizen  at  Mount  Vernon, 
Mr.  Haddox,  in  a  primative  log  cabin  near  the  mouth  of  Radcliff's  Run, 
less  than  two  miles  south  of  the  present  town  of  Buckhannon,  indeed, 
within  the  suburbs  of  the  town,  taught  the  first  school  in  the  bounds  of  the 
present  county  of  Upshur.  This  school  was  supported  by  private  subscrip- 
tion. The  interest  manifested  can  only  be  measured  at  this  date  by  the 
liberality  of  the  contributions  which,  when  all  collected,  and  paid  over  to 
the  first  "jolly  pedagogue"  in  the  present  bounds  of  Upshur,  amounted  to- 


MOUXT  HOPE>  PUBLIC  SCHOOL 


SALEM  PUBLIC  SCHOOL 


WEST  VIRGINIA  153 

the  libera  salary  of  $60.00  and  board  per  month.  The  latter  half  of  this 
consideration  was  by  compliance  with  the  condition  that  the  teacher  go 
home  in  turn  with  th  Is  of  each  patron  and  supporter  of  the  schooL 

This  remuneration  is  in  iking  contrast  with  the  meager  salary  paid  by 
our  present  District  Boards  of  Education. 

The  attendance  of  this  first  school  was  regular,  large,  and  wide. 
During  the  three  months,  the  length  of  the  school  term,  tradition  informs 
us  that  the  inexcusable  non-attendance  was  nothing.  Pupils  were  present 
at  the  hour  of  opening  and  during  the  day  the  program  proceeded  with 
the  regularity  of  the  clock.  Children  gathered  from  a  circuit  or  five 
miles  from  the  school  house  and  answered  the  roll  call.  "Here." 

Our  reliable  informer  also  tells  us  the  names  of  some  who  attended 
this  first  school.  Thomas  Carney,  Zachariah  Westfall  and  David  Casto 
were  pupils,  Jacob,  John,  William  and  Isaac  Cutright  and  their  sister, 
Ann,  and  the  Oliver  children  on  Cutright  Run  were  also  pupils.  Adam, 
Daniel,  and  George  Carper  from  the  present  site  of  Buckhannon  were 
boys  in  attendance,  and  the  Tingles,  the  Finks  and  Hyers  from  Finks  Run 
were  also  enrolled. 

The  second  school  was  established  about  1800  on  the  site  of  the 
present  court  house  in  the  town  of  Buckhannon  and  a  Mr.  Samuel 
Hall  was  employed  to  instruct  the  children  of  the  neighborhood  in 
reading,  writing  and  arithmetic. 

Mrs.  Mary  Bradley  taught  the  first  school  at  French  Creek  in  the 
year  1817.  Thus  the  meager  beginning  of  the  school  history  in  Upshur 
county. 

To  these  three  schools  others  were  added,  as  necessity  and  comfort 
advised.  The  increase  of  schools  was  not  and  could  not  be  satisfactory, 
owing  to  the  need  of  children  at  home,  to  clear  the  forest,  to  tend  and  col- 
lect the  crops  and  otherwise  to  assist  parents  in  providing  for  the  absolute 
needs  of  the  family. 

In  the  mind  of  the  pioneer,  the  greatest  and  highest  achievement  in 
education  consisted  in  the  ability  to  read  a  morning  and  evening  scripture 
lesson,  a  deed  for  land,  or  a  stray  volume  of  Shakespeare,  or  Poor  Rich- 
ard's Almanac,  also,  to  be  able  to  answer  notices,  to  prepare  contracts 
and  deeds  and  to  communicate  with  the  land  office  at  Richmond.  Along 
with  these  marks  of  proficiency  went  the  ability  to  add  sums,  estimate  dis- 
tances, to  ascertain  areas  and  to  calculate  interest.  Whenever  the  child 
could  handle  and  apply  readily  the  principles  of  these  branches,  he  was 
well  qualified  to  meet  and  combat  the  contingent  experiences  of  this  for- 
est life. 

The  greatest  stimulus  to  general  education  with  equal  school  ad- 
vantages came  with  the  emigration  of  the  New  Englanders  to  this  country. 
This  emigration  began  in  the  year  1801  with  Zachariah  Morgan  settling 
on  the  Buckhannon  river  near  the  town  of  Sago.  His  story  of  this  new 
country  attracted  Aaron  Gould,  Sr.,  and  his,  in  turn,  brought  Robert  and 
Gilbert  Young  with  their  families  in  the  year  1811.  The  years  1814,  1815, 
1816  and  1817  brought  scores  more  of  these  enthusiastic  Puritans,  who  con- 
tributed much  to  the  agitation  for  greater  school  advantages  which  was 


154  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

seed  sown  in  good  ground  and  in  time  bore  and  is  bearing  fruit  to  the 
glory  and  honor  of  Upshur  county  citizenship.  According  to  their  strict 
ideas  of  life  they  forced  an  educational  opportunity  and  made  their  child- 
ren take  and  improve  it. 

Continuous  battle  was  waged  between  poverty  and  the  illimitable 
forest  on  one  side  and  ambition  and  a  hope  of  better  future  on  the  other. 
The  acts  of  the  Virginia  Assembly  of  the  late  forties,  giving  partial  State 
support  to  the  schools  were  due  in  some  measure  to  the  violent  agitation  of 
the  New  Englanders  west  of  the  mountains.  The  Poor  Fund  converted 
many  dwelling  houses  and  churches  into  school  houses.  These  required 
teachers  and  on  February  1,  1847  an  act  was  passed  by  the  General  As- 
sembly of  Virginia  entitled,  "An  act  to  incorporate  the  Male  and  Female 
Academy  of  Buckhannon." 

The  incorporators  by  this  act  purchased  a  lot  in  the  town  of  Buck- 
hannon, near  where  the  Episcopalian  church  now  stands  on  Main  street, 
And  built  thereon  a  comfortable  one-story  school  house.  Nearly  all  the 
jBtudents  who  attended  this  school  became  teachers  as  soon  as  their 
preceptor  thought  them  capable.  Some  became  influential  in  county 
politics  after  1851. 

So  great  was  the  interest  in  common  school  work  that  many  new 
schools  were  started  and  the  Poor  Fund  allotted  to  this  county  paid 
tmt  a  small  part  of  current  expenses.  One  teacher  of  this  period  tells 
us  that  he  had  thirty-five  pupils  and  got  only  $36  from  the  Poor  Fund. 
Whenever  the  Poor  Fund  was  not  sufficient  to  compensate  the  teacher  for 
tils  services  he  could  choose  either  to  teach  for  the  Poor  Fund  only, 
OT  had  to  solicit  from  the  patrons,  a  varied  subscription,  which  was  paid  in 
<jorn,  oats,  live  stock,  or  currency  as  provided  by  the  agreement  be- 
tween teacher  and  patron  at  the  time  of  the  solicitation. 

This  brings  us  to  the  war  of  the  rebellion. 

An  act  passed  December  10,  1863,  by  the  Legislature  of  West  Virginia 
•established  free  schools  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  this  war- 
born  commonwealth. 

A  State  superintendent,  a  county  superintendent  and  a  board  of 
education  of  each  school  district  has  to  be  duly  elected  and  qualified. 
The  first  election  of  a  county  superintendent  and  township  school  officers 
was  held  in  every  voting  precinct  in  Upshur  county  on  the  fourth  Thurs- 
day in  April,  1864,  with  the  result  that  A.  B.  Rohrbough,  afterward  a  very 
eminent  divine  of  the  West  Virginia  M.  E.  conference,  till  his  death  1n 
1901,  was  chosen  as  first  county  superintendent  of  free  schools  of  Upshur 
county.  No  report  is  left  by  him  to  tell  the  number  of  schools  and  what 
condition  they  were  in  at  that  date,  but  it  is  fair  to  presume  that  his 
work  was  hard  and  earnest.  His  successor,  J.  Loomis  Gould,  whose  ad- 
ministration covered  a  period  of  six  years  from  1865  to  1871,  gives  a  re- 
port for  each  year  during  his  incumbency.  His  first  report  shows  eighteen 
schools  in  operation,  one  school  house,  an  enumeration  of  2643,  and  en- 
rollment of  535,  an  average  daily  attendance  of  384.  Number  of  male 
teachers,  11;  number  of  female  teachers,  8;  average  salary  for  male  teach- 
ers, $35  per  month;  average  salary  for  female  teachers,  $18  per  month. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  155 

With  a  view  to  comparison  with  this  first  report  the  figures  of  each 
succeeding  ten  years  up  to  1905  are  taken.  The  report  of  1875  shows  the 
number  of  schools  to  be  68;  enumeration,  3259;  enrollment,  2434;  average 
daily  attendance,  1484.  Number  of  male  teachers,  49;  number  of  female 
teachers,  24.  Average  salary  for  male  teachers,  $30.08;  average  salary  for 
female  teachers,  $30.48.  The  report  of  1885  shows  eighty  schools,  eighty- 
three  school  houses,  4023  enumerated,  3195  enrolled,  1973  in  daily  attend- 
ance, 64  male  teachers,  26  female  teachers.  The  report  of  1895  shows  107 
schools,  107  school  houses,  4886  pupils  enumerated,  3905  pupils  enrolled, 
2730  pupils  in  daily  attendance,  80  male  teachers,  and  39  female  teachers. 
The  report  of  1905  shows  135  schools,  115  school  houses,  4925  enumerated, 
3985  enrolled,  2699  in  daily  attendance,  67  male  teachers,  65  female  teach- 
ers. These  figures  indicate  a  healthy  growth  in  the  past  thirty-eight 
/ears.  At  the  time  of  the  first  report  there  were  eighteen  schools  and  one 
school  house; at  the  time  of  the  last  report  there  were  132  schools  and  115 
school  houses.  An  average  increase  of  three  schools  and  three  school 
houses  per  year. 

From  the  advent  of  the  New  Englander  into  the  settlements  along 
the  Buckhannon  river  and  the  waters  of  French  Creek,  Presbyterianism 
took  the  lead  in  progressive  educational  ideas  and  affairs.  Coming  as 
they  did  from  the  highly  intellectual  atmosphere  prevalent  in  and  around 
Boston,  it  was  but  natural  that  they  should  take  an  unusual  interest, 
indeed,  the  initiative,  in  providing  for  a  general  and  a  higher  education  of 
their  children.  Just  prior  to  the  Rebellion  we  find  the  Presbyterians  in 
and  around  Buckhannon  under  the  wise  leadership  of  Rev.  R.  Lawson 
an  earnest  educator,  bound  together  in  united  effort  to  establish  the 
Baxter's  Institute  named  after  Richard  Baxter  whom  Dean  Stanley  styles 
"The  chief  of  English  Protestant  school  men"  and  the  author  of  Saint's 
Everlasting  Rest.  A  lot  was  obtained  and  a  site  selected  by  the  White 
Oak  Grove  near  the  site  of  the  present  West  Virginia  Wesleyan  College. 
Lumber  was  purchased  and  hauled  on  the  ground.  The  contract  for 
the  building  was  let.  War  came  on  and  the  building  was  deferred. 
Armies  invaded  the  county,  besieged  the  town,  appropriated  the  lumber 
for  camp  and  camp-fires  and  Presbyterian  hopes  for  a  high  grade  school 
were  temporarily  dissipated. 

No  sooner  had  the  clouds  of  war  cleared  away  than  that  unconquer- 
able thirst  for  knowledge  in  the  Puritan's  breast  began  to  agitate  the 
advisability  and  possibility  of  an  academy.  At  this  time  as  well  as  since, 
the  Presbyterian  faith  had  more  devotees  in  and  around  French  Creek 
and  it  was  but  natural  that  that  place  should  be  the  immediate  field  of 
operation. 

On  the  23rd  day  of  February,  1871,  the  stronger  and  more  well-to-do 
families  of  the  French  Creek  Presbyterian  church  assembled  in  their 
church  house  and  prepared  papers  asking  for  the  incorporation  of  the 
French  Creek  Institute.  The  charter  was  granted  March  2,  1871.  The 
purpose  of  this  school  as  stated  in  their  charter  was  a  male  and  female 
Academy,  "to  train  up  teachers  and  promote  education  generally."  The 
amount  subscribed  and  paid  upon  the  charter  was  $410  with  the  privilege 


156  HISTOBY  OF  EDUCATION 

of  increasing  the  capital  stock  to  $30,000.  The  charter  does  not  expire 
until  1970,  although  the  school  has  been  for  many  years  suspended  and 
the  academy  building  torn  down.  The  first  principal  was  Dr.  Loyal 
Young.  Other  principals  were  Myra  Brooks,  J.  Loomis  Gould  and  R.  A. 
Armstrong,  now  professor  of  English  in  the  West  Virginia  University. 
This  school  wielded  a  wide,  beneficent  and  salutary  influence  on  the  future 
school  history  and  growth  of  this  and  adjoining  counties. 

The  next  effort  toward  the  establishment  of  a  higher  school  in  the 
county  was  the  West  Virginia  Normal  and  Classical  Academy  in  the  town 
of  Buckhannon.  Its  founders  were  men  prominent  in  the  Parkersburg 
Conference  of  the  U.  B.  in  Christ  Church.  Rev.  Zebedee  Warner,  D.  D., 
Rev.  W.  N.  Weekley,  Revs.  C.  Hall,  J.  O.  Stevens  and  L.  T.  John  were 
foremost  in  encouraging  and  consummating  its  establishment.  Prof. 
J.  O.  Stevens  was  the  first  principal.  He  was  greatly  assisted  by  his 
lovable  and  enthusiastic  wife,  Mrs.  J.  L.  Stevens,  now  of  Dayton,  Ohio. 
Other  principals  were  Profs.  L.  F.  John,  W.  S  Reese,  W.  O.  Fries,  W.  O. 
Mills,  now  of  the  West  Virginia  Wesleyan  College,  and  U.  S.  Fleming,  now 
principal  of  the  Fairmont  State  Normal  School. 

When  this  school  was  moved  to  Mason  City  in  1897,  the  board  of  edu- 
cation of  Buckhannon  Independent  District  purchased  the  ten-room  brick 
building  formerly  owned  by  the  Academy  and  its  beautiful  campus,  for 
the  small  sum  of  $5,000.  This  building  with  two  frame  buildings  consti- 
tute the  public  and  high  school  buildings  of  Buckhannon. 

This  in  brief  is  the  history  of  the  public,  parochial  and  academical 
schools  of  Upshur  county  until  the  location  of  the  West  Virginia  Confer- 
ence Seminary  at  Buckhannon  in  1887,  an  institution  that  has  grown  to 
large  proportions  in  its  brief  life,  and  is  now  the  West  Virginia  Wesleyan 
College. 

I  shall  not  take  space  to  speak  of  either  the  Public  Schools  of  Buck- 
hannon, with  Professor  J.  S.  Cornwell  as  city  superintendent,  of  the  West 
Virginia  Wesleyan  College  with  the  Rev.  John  Wier,  A.  M.,  D.  D.,  as  pres- 
ident, but  leave  this  important  work  to  these  gentlemen.  However,  I  deem 
it  a  privilege  as  well  as  a  duty  to  say,  in  passing,  in  behalf  of  the  cause  of 
education  that  both  of  these  institutions  stand  second  to  none  in  the  State, 
and  are  shedding  a  luster  of  light  and  knowledge  which  points  to  good 
citizenship,  noble  manhood,  and  pure  womanhood. 


Wayne    County. 

L.   G.    SANSOM,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

Prior  to  the  year  1862,  we  had  very  few  schools  in  Wayne  county. 
What  few  we  had  were  subscription  schools,  the  teachers  for  which  were 
hired  by  the  wealthier  settlers.  Sometimes  the  poorer  class  were  allowed 
to  attend  these  schools.  The  settlers  would  come  together  and  throw  up  a 
round  log  cabin.  This  cabin  had  a  spacious  fire-place  taking  up  almost  all 
of  one  end  of  the  building;  this  was  the  heating  apparatus.  For  ventila- 
tion there  was  usually  a  log  left  out  on  either  side  of  the  building.  This 


WEST  VIBGIXIA  157 

was  covered  with  greased  paper  in  winter,  through  which  the  imperfect 
rays  of  light  penetrated,  giving  the  pupil  some  light  for  study.  The  fur- 
niture of  the  room  consisted  of  some  rude  benches  made  by  splitting  poles 
in  halves  and  putting  legs  into  them. 

In  the  year  1862  a  small  allowance  was  made  from  the  State  of  Vir- 
ginia for  the  support  of  the  schools  in  Wayne  county.  At  this  time  there 
were  five  districts  in  the  county,  in  each  of  which  was  appointed  a  com- 
missioner of  educational  affairs,  and  these  five  constituted  the  board  of 
public  school  fund  of  Wayne  county. 

During  the  Civil  War  there  were  very  few  schools  in  the  county, 
most  of  the  able-bodied  men  being  engaged  in  the  war.  After  the  war 
was  over,  the  cause  of  free  schools  was  again  revived,  but  their  progress 
was  naturally  slow.  About  the  year  18G7  the  bitter  feelings  growing  out 
of  the  war  between  the  states  having  somewhat  subsided,  all  parties  now 
felt  the  need  of  a  permanent  educational  system.  The  State  fund  had  nat- 
urally accumulated,  there  being  no  schools  to  pay  for,  until  the  Boards  of 
Education  were  able  to  build  hewn-log  houses  in  the  most  densely  popu- 
lated districts,  and  had  funds  sufficient  to  pay  for  about  forty-nine  days 
of  school  annually. 

S.  P.  Webb,  of  Ceredo,  was  the  first  county  superintendent  of  Wayne 
county,  and  was  appointed  in  1868.  Mr.  Webb  was  educated  in  one  of 
the  eastern  colleges;  besides  having  had  a  thorough  training  in  the  com- 
mon branches,  he  knew  something  of  the  classics.  We  now  had  a  county 
superintendent  to  look  after  our  educational  affairs  together  with  three 
members  from  each  magisterial  district  as  a  board  of  education  of  that 
district.  There  were  also  three  trustees  in  each  sub-district,  their  duty 
being  to  see  that  the  schools  are  taught  as  the  law  requires. 

In  1872  was  called  a  State  constitutional  convention  which  met  at 
Charleston.  Resolutions  were  prepared  and  submitted  to  this  convention, 
which  made  ample  provisions  for  a  system  of  free  schools,  and  without 
very  many  changes  were  adopted  and  ratified  by  this  convention.  These 
with  very  few  alterations  remain  the  basis  of  our  free  school  system.  The 
Boards  of  education  continued  to  build  log  houses  wherever  they  were 
most  needed,  and  many  poor  children  enjoyed  the  blessings  of  a  free 
school  education.  At  this  time — 1875 — there  were  eighty-six  log  houses 
in  Wayne  county,  but  the  work  of  building  went  steadily  on. 

In  the  year  1888  the  first  frame  school  house  was  built  in  Wayne  coun- 
ty. Under  a  series  of  laws  passed  since  1872  we  have  been  advancing  rap- 
idly indeed.  These  are,  a  law  passed  in  1894,  lengthening  the  term  of 
school  officers  from  two  to  four  years,  a  law  creating  a  county  school  book 
board,  and  various  other  laws  for  the  betterment  of  the  school  system. 

We  have  indeed  made  wonderful  progress.  With  twenty  log  huts  in 
1861,  we  now  have  172  neat  frame  buildings,  one  seven-room  brick  build- 
ing in  Ceredo,  one  four-room  frame  building  in  Kenova,  and  two  four- 
room  buildings  under  construction,  one  at  Wayne,  the  county  seat,  the 
other  at  East  Lynn,  a  mining  town  in  Stonewall  district.  From  400  chil- 
dren, who  attended  school  in  Wayne  county  in  1862,  we  now  have  7560  in 
school.  With  a  State  appropriation  for  1862  of  possibly  a  few  hundred 
dollars,  we  now,  in  1906,  receive  $16^,087.06. 


158  HISTOEY  OF  EDUCATION 

Webster    County. 

GAINES    CHAPMAN,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

Suitable  material  for  writing  the  early  history  of  education  in  Web- 
ster county  is  very  meager.  The  "master"  who  ruled  with  the  rod  left 
no  journal  of  his  success  or  failure.  This  lack  of  written  information 
must  be  suplied  from  the  memory  of  the  oldest  inhabitants,  which  is  not 
always  reliable. 

No  schools  were  taught  in  the  territory  now  embraced  in  Webster 
county  till  the  year  1835.  The  first  school  house  was  erected  by  the  Ham- 
rick  brothers  on  Elk  river,  about  six  miles  above  Webster  Springs,  and 
William  Griffin  was  employed  by  these  brothers  to  teach  their  children 
three  months  for  ten  dollars  and  board. 

Of  the  pioneer  teachers  in  the  county  we  mention  the  following: 
William  Kain,  William  and  Samuel  Given,  Israel  Clifton,  Jonathan  Griffin, 
Joseph  Woods,  Timothy  Holcomb  and  Frank  Duffy. 

One  of  the  peculiar  features  of  these  subscription  schools  in  this 
county  was  that  the  teacher  sometimes  allowed  the  pupils  to  vote  on  the 
question  of  "open"  or  "closed"  school.  If  a  majority  voted  for  "open" 
school,  then  each  pupil  must  spell  and  read  aloud  while  studying  his  les- 
sons. 

On  account  of  disorganization  of  the  county,  the  free  school  system 
was  not  carried  into  effect  until  1868.  Dr.  C.  W.  Benedum  was  the  first 
to  teach  a  free  school  at  Webster  Springs  in  1871.  At  that  time  but  two 
families  lived  at  the  Springs,  those  of  P.  F.  Duffy,  afterwards  Auditor  of 
the  State,  and  James  Woodzell.  Some  of  the  pupils  came  for  a  number  of 
miles.  The  enrollment  was  33.  Among  those  who  first  taught  in  the  free 
schools  here  were  John  Sawyers,  J.  B.  McCourt  and  Jonathan  Griffin. 

Until  recently  our  schools  made  slow  progress.  Teachers  were  defi- 
cient and  their  salaries  were  low.  The  financial  condition  of  the  county 
was  not  good  and  even  with  the  maximum  levy  our  schools  could  not  be 
kept  open  longer  than  three  or  four  months.  But  brighter  days  have 
dawned.  A  decade  ago  we  had  fifty-seven  schools,  but  the  recent  develop- 
ment of  the  natural  wealth  of  the  county,  has  enabled  us  to  maintain  over 
one  hundred  schools  for  the  full  legal  term  and  pay  our  teachers  salaries 
that  will  average  with  those  of  the  State. 

Summer  normals  have  been  the  means  of  preparing  the  majority  of 
our  taechers  for  the  profession.  In  1890  Professor  W.  C.  Dodrill  opened  a 
school  of  this  kind  at  Haynes  and  has,  with  other  good  teachers,  taught 
many  successful  terms  since  then.  He  has  had  an  experience  of  twenty- 
five  years  and  has  been  the  means  of  accomplishing  much  for  the  cause  of 
education  in  this  county. 

There  is  a  general  awakening  to  the  importance  of  education  in  our 
county.  The  citizens  of  Glade  district  at  the  election  of  1906  voted  by  a 
large  majority  to  establish  a  high  school  at  Cowen.  Many  of  the  schools 
now  have  small  libraries.  The  enumeration  of  school  youth  in  1892  was 


WEST  VIRGINIA 


159- 


1887;  in  1906  it  was  3527.     The  following  named  persons  have  served 
County  Superintendent  of  Webster  county  in  the  order  named: 


1.  Jas.  Dyer. 

2.  Dr.  C.  W.  Benedum. 

3.  Noah  Clifton. 

4.  P.   J.  McGuire. 

5.  W.  B.   Stanard. 

6.  E.   H.   Morton. 


7.  P.  W.  Bruffey. 

8.  J.  M.   Hoover. 
9.  H.  H.  Bruffey. 

10.  M.  T.  Hoover. 

11.  Gaines  Chapman. 

12.  Geo.  R.   Morton. 


Wetzel    County. 

S.    L.   LONG,   SUPERINTENDENT. 

It  is  not  our  aim  in  this  brief  sketch  to  give  a  complete  chronology  of 
education  in  Wetzel  county  from  its  formation  to  the  present  time,  but 
to  give  the  reader  a  brief  outline  of  our  wonderful  progress  along  educa- 
tional lines  within  the  last  half  century. 

The  first  schools  taught  within  the  borders  of  what  is  now  Wetzel 
county  were  subscription  schools.  The  teachers  were  usually  from  other 
states— Pennsylvania  and  Ohio,  we  are  told,  furnishing  most  of  them.  The 
school  term  averaged  about  twelve  weeks;  the  rate  of  wages,  from  eight 
to  twelve  dollars  per  month;  the  teacher  boarded  around  among  the  pat- 
rons of  the  school  and  helped  the  boys  do  the  chores  morning  and  evening 
to  pay  for  his  board. 

To  be  able  to  read,  write,  cipher  and  wield  the  "birch"  was  good  "stock 
in  trade"  and  about  the  only  requirements  for  a  teacher. 

These  schools  continued  up  to  the  time  West  Virginia  was  admitted 
into  the  Union.  The  constitution  of  the  new  State  provided  that  the  Legis- 
lature should  pass  a  law  to  establish  a  system  of  free  schools  throughout 
the  entire  state.  Wetzel  was  one  of  the  first  counties  to  attempt  to  put 
the  new  system  into  operation.  The  starting  of  these  schools  by  the  ad- 
vocates of  popular  education  was  fraught  with  many  disadvantages.  It 
•eems  strange  to  us  now  that  there  was  any  opposition  to  a  measure  that 
gave  to  all  classes  of  people  an  equal  chance  to  secure  at  least  a  common 
school  education.  But  the  advocates  of  the  new  law  went  to  work  with 
the  determination  of  making  it  a  success.  New  houses  were  built,  new 
district  boundaries  were  established;  the  attendance  at  school  gained  very 
rapidly;  our  own  boys  and  girls  began  to  prepare  to  become  teachers 
themselves.  Thus  a  new  era  had  dawned. 

At  first  the  people  were  a  little  doubtful  of  the  home  teachers.  They 
didn't  think  it  possible  for  them  to  teach  and  govern  a  school;  but  they 
soon  saw  their  mistake  and  for  twenty-five  or  thirty  years  the  schools 
of  the  county  were  taught  almost  exclusively  by  home  taechers.  How- 
ever, for  the  last  three  or  four  years,  on  account  of  the  vast  development 
of  the  material  resources  of  the  county  many  of  our  teachers  have  quit 


160  HISTOEY  OF  EDUCATION 

teaching  and  have  taken  up  other  work  more  remunerative.  This  makes 
a  scarcity  of  teachers  in  the  county,  many  of  our  schools  being  filled  with 
teachers  from  other  counties. 

The  school  houses  at  first  were  built  of  logs  with  the  chinks  chunked 
and  daubed;  an  old-fashioned  fire-place  six  or  eight  feet  long,  into  which 
logs  of  wood  were  piled  and  set  on  fire,  served  to  heat  the  room,  and  when, 
perchance,  the  room  got  too  hot  the  door  was  thrown  open  to  admit  fresh 
air.  This  was  the  only  means  of  ventilation.  A  piece  was  cut  from  one 
of  the  logs,  usually  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  house  from  the  door,  over 
which  greased  paper  (sometimes  panes  of  glass)  was  put  to  admit  light. 
A  board  or  puncheon  six  or  eight  feet  long  placed  under  this  window 
served  as  a  writing  desk,  where  the  pupils  were  required  to  stand  and 
write  during  the  writing  period.  A  split  sapling,  with  pins  driven  into  it 
for  legs,  served  for  seats.  But  these  log  houses  have  gradually  given  way 
(the  last  one  in  the  county  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1898  or  1899)  to  frame 
buildings,  equipped  with  modern  seats  and  desks. 

The  old-time  apparatus — the  dunce  cap,  dunce  block  and  birch — have 
gradually  given  way  to  charts,  maps,  globes,  mathematical  blocks,  etc. 
Today  the  schools  of  Wetzel  county  will,  we  believe,  compare  favorably 
with  those  of  any  county  of  the  State. 

For  some  time  the  question  of  good  libraries  of  well-selected  books 
has  been  discussed  at  teachers'  meetings  and  elsewhere,  with  the  result 
that  a  majority  of  the  schools  are  now,  at  the  beginning  of  the  year  1907, 
supplied  with  a  choice  library.  We  believe  that  every  school  in  the  coun- 
ty will  before  another  year  rolls  around  have  a  library. 

Wetzel  county  can  now  boast  of  two  High  Schools.  On  April  26,  1906, 
the  board  of  education  of  Clay  district  submitted  to  the  voters  a  proposi- 
tion to  establish  a  High  School  and  issue  $15,000  worth  of  bonds  to  erect 
an  eight-room  building  at  Littleton.  The  proposition  carried  almost  unan- 
imously, only  a  few  votes  being  cast  against  it.  The  building,  which  is 
nearing  completion,  will  be  one  of  the  best  in  the  state  when  done  and 
furnished.  It  is  a  stone  and  brick  structure  of  modern  architectural  de- 
sign, the  plans  and  specifications  were  drawn  up  by  Chapman  &  Alexander, 
two  noted  architects  of  New  Martinsville,  W.  Va.  It  consists  of  eight 
recitation  rooms,  a  library,  principal's  office  and  an  auditorium  which  will 
seat  about  six  hundred  people.  The  total  cost  will  be  about  $22,000.  • 

The  other  High  School  is  at  New  Martinsville,  the  county  seat.  The 
present  school  building,  one  of  the  finest  in  the  State,  was  erected  in  1901, 
at  a  cost  of  about  $40,000.  It  is  a  sixteen-room  building  with  large  and 
commodious  auditorium,  principal's  office,  library,  etc.  The  teaching 
force,  numbering  sixteen  teachers,  is  equal  to  any  in  the  State. 

More  high  schools  will  be  established  in  the  county  within  the  next 
year  or  two.  Grant  district,  at  the  election  in  November,  voted  an  eight 
months'  school  term,  and  the  agitation  for  a  high  school  is  gaining 
ground  every  day. 

The  wages  for  teachers  have  increased  from  50%  to  80%  the  last 
three  years.  Center  district  pays  $52,  $47,  $42  for  the  different  grades  this 
year.  Four  districts  pay  $50  for  first  grade,  one  pays  $45  and  one  $40. 


BENWOOD  SCHOOL 


EDGINGTON  LANE  SCHOOL,  OHIO  COUNTY 


WEST  VIRGINIA  161 

The  outlook  for  better  schools  for  our  boys  and  girls,  where  they  can 
secure  a  good  high  school  education  at  home,  is  indeed  very  promising. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  county  superintendents  from  the  begin- 
ning of  the  free  school  system  to  the  present  time:  R.  W.  Lock,  John  J. 
Yarnall,  Wm.  Newman,  Geo.  K.  Franks,  J.  U.  Morgan,  T.  M.  Haskins,  Chas. 
J.  McAlister,  John  H.  Wade,  L.  W.  Dulaney,  W.  T.  Sidell,  Friend  W.  Par- 
sons and  S.  L.  Long. 


Wood    County. 

BY   W.   T.    COCHEAN,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

Wood  county  soon  after  the  admission  of  the  State  was  laid  off  into 
districts  and  sub-districts,  school  officers  were  elected  and  a  school  system 
established.  The  people  of  the  county  availed  themselves  of  the  oppor- 
tunities thus  afforded,  and  it  soon  became  necessary  to  enlarge  the  school 
houses  or  build  new  ones. 

This  condition  gave  rise  to  a  demand  for  better  and  more  efficient 
teachers,  and  methods  were  used  to  bring  about  a  higher  standard  of  pre- 
paration in  teachers. 

County  institutes  were  held  and  their  advantages  became  so  appar- 
ent that  by  legislative  enactment,  attendance  was  made  obligatory  upon 
teachers.  The  County  Superintendents  of  Wood  county  have  been  men  of 
ability  and  have  worked  to  secure  a  high  standard  of  efficiency  among 
the  teachers  of  the  county.  Present  conditions  are  most  satisfactory  in 
city  and  county. 

Wood  county  has  one  District  High  School  outside  of  Parkersburg, 
and  its  work  is  a  strength  to  the  schools  in  the  section  where  it  is  lo- 
cated. 


Wyoming   County. 

BY    B.    WADE    COOK,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

Wyoming  county  was  organized  in  the  fall  of  1849  or  the  early  part 
of  1850,  from  a  portion  of  what  was  then  Logan  county,  Virginia.  Before 
the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War  there  were  here  and  there  a  few  "schools 
for  indigent  children,"  but  schools  were  the  exception  rather  than  the 
rule,  before  the  war.  There  were  no  schools  organized  under  the  Virginia 
law  of  1846. 

During  the  war  everything  was  in  a  state  of  chaos;  little  or  no  atten- 
tion was  given  to  education  and  schools  in  the  county.  But  in  the  consti- 
tutional convention,  which  convened  in  the  city  of  Wheeling  on  Novem- 
ber 26,  1861,  for  the  purpose  of  framing  a  constitution  for  the  proposed 
new  state,  Wyoming  county  was  represented  by  Hon.  Wm.  Walker.  Mr. 
Walker  was  made  a  member  of  the  committee  on  Education.  The  report 


162  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

of  this  committee,  with  a  few  slight  changes,  became  Article  10  of  the  first 
constitution;  and  with  some  modifications  and  additions,  Article  12  of  our 
present  constitution. 

In  1865  Madison  Ellison  was  elected  first  County  Superintendent  of  Wy- 
oming county.  One  of  the  first,  if  not  the  first,  free  schools  was  taught 
by  Hon.  W.  H.  H.  Cook,  in  his  father's  kitchen,  at  the  old  Thos.  M.  Cook 
homestead  on  Rockcastle  Creek,  a  short  distance  above  where  the  Rock- 
castle  Baptist  church  now  stands.  This  was  in  November,  1865.  The 
school  had  an  enrollment  of  about  fifty  scholars. 

Soon  after  the  war  the  citizens  and  officials  of  this  county  began  in 
earnest  the  arduous  task  of  organizing  free  schools.  Progress  was  neces- 
sarily slow,  as  the  county  is  large,  rough  and  mountainous,  and  at  the  be- 
ginning only  very  sparsely  settled  and  without  roads  and  school  houses. 
In  1876  at  the  time  of  the  centennial  exhibition  at  Philadelphia,  there  were 
reported  only  twenty-nine  free  schools  and  two  church  houses  in  the 
county. 

Among  the  many  whom  we  may  now  look  upon  as  pioneers  in  the 
work  of  organizing  free  schools  in  this  county  may  be  mentioned,  Rev. 
W.  H.  H.  Cook,  Hon.  T.  F.  Bailey,  Levi  Gore,  Jas.  H.  Stewart,  Capt.  W.  T. 
Sarver,  Capt.  C.  S,  Canterbury,  the  Gunnoe  brothers,  Dr.  I.  Bailey,  Austin 
Cooper,  and  Rev.  J.  L.  Marshall.  Among  those  who  have  done  good  work 
In  the  training  of  teachers  are:  Rev.  J.  S.  Poe,  first  graduate  of  the  Con- 
cord State  Normal  School;  E.  M.  Senter,  circuit  clerk  of  this  county;  Prof- 
A.  J.  Lacey,  Rev.  Peter  Clay,  L.  M.  Poe,  T.  A.  Cook,  Powell  Lane,  Hon.  John 
W.  Cook,  Prof.  Chas.  Preston,  E.  S.  Hatfield,  Prof.  J.  E.  Philips,  P.  C. 
Cook,  County  Superintendent  of  McDowell  county;  Thos.  J.  Cooper,  County 
Superintendent,  from  1885  to  1887;  Prof.  Alfred  Chambers  and  J.  Russell 
Christian.  Of  those  who  have  retired  from  the  profession  of  teaching, 
but  whose  life  story  is  a  part  of  the  educational  history  of  the  county  we 
mention:  Jas.  H.  Stewart,  L.  L.  Shannon,  Dan.  Gunnoe,  Fount  Goode,  L. 
P.  Cook,  Lee  P.  Bailey,  E.  E.  Stone,  A.  M.  Stewart,  M.  L.  Jones,  J.  Harney 
Cook.  The  free  schools  in  this  county  have  met  with  and  overcome  many 
obstacles  in  their  upward  progress.  Among  these  has  been  insufficient 
funds,  which  has  resulted  in  a  short  school  term  until  very  recently. 
Notwithstanding  all  these  hindrances  our  schools  have  multiplied,  until 
we  now  have  ninety-three  schools  in  the  county.  We  have  seventy  large 
commodious  school  houses,  twenty  houses  that  are  only  fair,  and  only 
three  that  are  very  indifferent;  the  "old  log  house"  is  a  thing  of  the  past 
in  Wyoming  county.  We  are  now  consolidating  our  schools  and  erecting 
large  two-room  buildings  wherever  two  or  more  schools  can  be  put 
together. 

Teachers'  Institutes  have  always  been  well  attended  in  this  county, 
and  have  wrought  a  great  change  for  good  upon  our  schools.  The  Uniform 
System  of  Examinations  is  securing  for  our  schools  much  better  teachers 
and  increased  wages  all  over  this  county.  Our  teachers  are  being  paid  in 
some  districts  for  third  grade  certificates  $40,  for  second  grade  certificates 
$42,  for  first  grade  certificates  $45,  while  in  three  districts  $50  is  being  paid 
for  first  grade  certificates.  When  the  Legislature  of  our  State  enacted  a 


WEST  VIRNIA  163 


law  providing  for  a  system  of  uniform  examinations  for  teachers,  the 
propriety  of  such  a  step  was  generally  questioned  by  the  friends  of  educa- 
tion throughout  the  county,  but  the  results  of  these  examinations  under 
the  new  system  have  been  very  satisfactory,  but  very  few  of  our  teachers 
having  failed  to  make  grades.  Our  teachers  compare  favorably  with  those 
of  all  the  surrounding  counties.. 

The  graded  course  is  being  pretty  well  followed  in  our  schools,  and 
Is  bringing  about  very  satisfactory  results.  The  Concord  State  Normal 
and  Marshall  College  are  doing  much  toward  supplying  our  schools  with 
intelligent,  energetic,  up-to-date  teachers.  There  is  at  this  time  —  January 
1,  1907  —  one  railroad  nearing  completion  through  the  eastern  part  of  the 
county,  and  another  building  through  the  same  portion  of  the  county. 
There  are  also  two  lines  surveyed  down  the  main  Guyan  river  by  Pineville, 
the  new  county  seat.  All  these  roads  penetrate  immense  coal  fields  and 
almost  boundless  stretches  of  primeval  forest,  composed  of  the  finest  tim- 
ber in  the  world.  With  the  great  increase  of  taxable  property  as  a  natural 
result  of  the  development  of  these  great  sources  of  wealth,  and  its  conse- 
quent increase  of  our  school  revenues,  the  educational  future  of  Wyoming 
county  is  promising  beyond  the  most  sanguine  expectations  of  the  found- 
ers of  the  free  schools  of  this  county.  The  foSowing  is  a  list  of  the  Coun- 
ty Superintendents  of  this  county,  with  the  term  of  each: 

Madison  Ellison    .......  1865  —  1870  Thos.    J.    Cooper    ......  1885  —  1887 

Richard  M.  Cook   ......  1870—1872  M.    L.    Stone    ..........  1887—1889 

T.   F.   Bailey    ..........  1872—1877  Jas.   Cook    .............  1889—1891 

A.   Shannon    ...........  1877—1879  I.   J.   Cook    ............  1891—1893 

J.   L.   Marshall    ........  1879—1881  Jas.  Cook    .............  1893—1895 

Philip  Lambert  ........  1881—1883  R.   Wade  Cook   .  .....  ..1895—1907 

D.   C.   Bailey    ..........  1883—1885  W.    G.    Sparks    ........  1907— 


CITIES    AND    TOWNS. 


Benwood  Public  Schools. 

BY    DORA    B.    DAVIS. 

A  number  of  years  before  the  free  school  system  was  established  by 
the  Legislature  of  our  State,  Benwood  had  subscription  schools.  In  1852 
the  first  mill  was  brought  to  Benwood,  being  moved  from  the  city  of 
Wheeling  to  this  place.  The  mill  company  erected  a  building  of  two 
rooms  to  be  used  for  educational  purposes.  This  building  was  used,  how- 
ever, only  a  short  time,  when  it  was  destroyed  by  fire. 

"On  July  5,"  1864,  the  first  "school  commissioners  of  Union  township 
met  at  the  home  of  Dr.  McCoy  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  and  listing  the 
children  in  said  township."  The  following  sites  were  chosen  for  the 
school  houses:  No.  1,  Benwood;  No.  2,  Boggs  Run;  No.  3,  Thatcher'i 
farm;  No.  4,  Conner's  farm;  No.  5,  M.  Calwell's  farm;  No.  6,  Pine  Hill; 
No.  7,  McConnell's  farm;  No.  8,  Revenscraft's  farm;  No.  9,  Allen's  farm. 

The  building  in  Benwood  was  erected  on  the  bank  of  the  Ohio  river, 
which  at  that  time  was  a  very  beautiful  location.  The  population  in- 
creased rapidly  until  this  building  was  found  inadequate  for  the  number 
of  pupils.  In  1873  it  was  torn  down  and  replaced  by  a  brick  building  of 
four  rooms,  to  which  tw*o  additional  rooms  were  added.  This  building 
was  used  until  the  year  1901. 

Dr.  Leonard  Eskey  was  the  first  principal  in  charge  after  the  erection 
of  the  new  building  in  1873.  He  held  this  position  for  a  number  of  years. 
During  this  time  a  course  of  study  was  arranged  and  the  first  diplomas 
were  conferred.  Dr.  Eskey  was  succeeded  by  Miss  Anderson,  of  whom 
the  records  have  little  to  say. 

J.  W.  May,  our  next  principal,  did  much  for  the  cause  of  education 
during  the  years  he  taught  in  Benwood.  He  was  the  first  to  arrange  and 
establish  a  High  School  Course,  and  to  conduct  regular  commencement  ex- 
ercises. Mr.  May  was  followed  by  Clyde  S.  Ford,  who  now  holds  a  high 
position  in  the  Regular  Army  of  the  United  States.  After  Mr.  Ford  re- 
signed the  position  to  go  to  school,  R.  A.  Riggs  was  elected  principal,  hav- 
ing at  this  time  six  assistants.  He  was  succeeded  by  George  M.  Ford. 

About  th*e  time  the  first  public  school  was  established  in  Benwood, 
a  building  was  also  erected  near  the  mouth  of  Boggs  Run.  This  was  a  two- 
roomed  building  and  the  children  from  North  Benwood  attended  it.  In 
the  year  1895  this  building  was  abandoned  and  the  pupils  from  up  Boggs 
Run  were  permitted  to  attend  school  in  North  Benwood,  where  an  excel- 
lent new  school  building  had  been  erected  and  C.  E.  Carrigan,  with  one 


WEST  VIRGINIA  165 

assistant,  organized  and  conducted  the  first  school.  The  school  population 
increased  until  it  was  necessary  to  have  four  assistants  in  this  school. 

In  1901  the  Board  of  Education  of  Union  district,  which  consisted  of 
Robert  Newton,  C.  W.  McCombs  and  J.  W.  Davis,  erected  two  new  school 
buildings  in  Benwood,  one  in  Central  Benwood,  which  is  the  High  School, 
and  the  other  in  Lower  Benwood,  called  the  Junction  School.  Since  its 
erection  the  High  School  has  had  two  principals,  C.  E.  Carrigan,  followed 
by  George  E.  Hubbs.  The  High  School  principal  is  also  City  Super- 
intendent. 

Prof.  George  E.  Hubbs  is  the  present  superintendent.  L.  M.  Crow  is 
principal  of  North  Benwood,  and  John  S.  Bonar  is  principal  of  the  Junc- 
tion School.  W.  C.  Mcllvain  is  truant  officer.  The  school  has  a  three-year 
high  school  course,  which  is  both  thorough  and  practical.  It  has  been  th« 
aim  to  strengthen  the  course  each  year.  The  school  has  a  general  library 
to  which  a  number  of  books  are  added  each  year.  Each  room  has  its  own 
library,  since  by  this  method  the  teacher  can  better  control  the  reading 
pursued  by  the  pupil. 


Public  Schools  of  Berkeley  Springs. 

BY    MISS    AGNES    L.    BECIITOL. 

Prior  to  1853  education  in  Berkeley  Springs  was  fragmentary  and  lim- 
ited. There  was  no  fixed  order  for  the  dissemination  of  knowledge,  the 
time,  place  and  manner  of  its  dissemination  being  determined  by  the  in- 
dividual's pocket.  The  people  as  a  whole  were  unlearned,  not  so  much 
from  a  lack  of  interest,  as  from  a  lack  of  advantages.  Only  those  who  pos- 
sessed wealth  reveled  in  the  delights  with  which  education,  culture  and 
refinement  reward  their  toilers. 

In  the  above  named  year  there  was  established  at  Berkeley  Springs 
an  institution  of  learning  known  as  the  Morgan  Academy.  Major  Roberts, 
of  Kentucky,  was  the  founder.  At  the  head  of  this  school  he  continued 
his  work  for  eight  years,  only  leaving  it  when  the  war  came  on.  This 
school  was  conducted  in  the  basement  of  the  old  Methodist  church  on  the 
site  where  stands  the  present  edifice.  During  the  day  he  taught  the 
children,  and  in  the  evening  he  held  his  famous  night  school  for  their 
parents,  principally,  but  anyone  who  chose  could  attend.  These  night 
schools  were  exceedingly  well  attended  and  proved  to  be  invaluable.  His 
compensation  was  one  dollar  a  month  from  each  member. 

From  this  school  sprang  many  famous  men,  two  of  whom  I  shall 
take  the  time  to  mention.  The  first  was  the  noted  Charles  T.  O'Ferrall, 
for  many  years  an  honored  citizen  of  Berkeley  Springs,  and  later  Governor 
of  Virginia,  now  deceased.  The  other  is  the  Rev.  Mr.  Peter  Whisner,  now 
a  noted  elder  in  the  M.  E.  church  south. 

The  following  reminiscences  concerning  Major  Roberts  from  one  of 
his  pupils,  now  an  old  woman,  I  found  interesting.  He  was  tall  and 
soldiar-like  in  appearance,  having  a  keen  eye  and  a  commanding  presence. 


168  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

He  emphasized  promptness,  calling  his  school  by  blowing  a  conch  shell, 
which  could  be  heard  distinctly  over  the  town;  and  woe  to  the  boy  or  girl 
who  refused  to  obey  its  summons.  No  pupil  was  allowed  to  enter  his 
presence  without  a  distinct  "good  morning."  In  the  evening  the  pupils 
were  dismissed  by  twos,  at  the  door  each  pair  halting,  the  boys  to  make 
a  profound  bow  and  the  girls  to  courtesy.  Beneath  this  military  bearing 
was  the  real  man.  For  in  spite  of  his  exact  methods  and  firm  commands  he 
was  a  consistent  Christian,  a  scholar,  an  exemplary  gentleman. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  war  Major  Roberts  returned  to  his  native 
state,  and  with  his  son  founded  a  noted  school  in  which  he  continued  un- 
til, his  death,  fifteen  years  ago.  So  much  for  the  man  who  had  the  idea  of 
system  and  whose  long  service  bore  fruit  in  the  years  following  the  War. 

In  the  year  1867  the  first  Free  School  was  established  in  Berkeley 
Springs  in  an  old  Methodist  church  which  stood  on  a  lot  now  owned  by 
the  heirs  of  the  late  J.  Rufus  Smith.  The  building  contained  two  rooms 
and  the  pioneer  teachers  who  taught  here  were  the  following:  Mr. 
Myers,  Miss  Kate  Boone,  Mr.  Prather,  Miss  Sue  Stater,  Mr.  Peter  Haring, 
Mr.  Cooper  and  Mr.  J.  S.  Bechtol.  This  old  building  was  condemned  Sep- 
tember 1,  1873,  and  the  school  was  removed  to  the  basement  of  the  old 
M.  E.  church,  where  Morgan  Academy  had  been  located,  as  previously 
noted  in  this  sketch.  The  Bo*,rd  of  Education  at  this  time  consisted  of 
Hon.  John  T.  Siler,  Dr.  J.  W.  Ewing,  and  Mr.  L.  A.  Cassard. 

The  teachers  who  taught  in  this  old  basement  from  1873  to  1878  were 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Bennett  Smith,  Mr.  George  Buck,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Chas.  O.  Cook, 
Mr.  Karklerrhodes,  Mr.  J.  S.  Bechtol,  the  Rev.  Mr.  J.  Me.  Duckwall  and  Mr. 
Wm.  Crossfield. 

In  the  autumn  of  1878  Mt.  Wesley  School  was  ready  for  occupancy. 
The  Board  of  Education  and  promoters  of  the  new  building  were:  Hon. 
John  T.  Siler,  Judge  J.  S.  Duckwall,  and  ex-Sheriff  John  H.  Buzzerd.  The 
lot  on  which  the  building  was  erected  was  purchased  from  Dr.  J.  W. 
Ewing,  and  the  school  was  named  Mt.  Wesley  in  honor  of  the  noted  Meth- 
odist divine.  This  building  is  a  brick  structure  which  stands  on  an 
eminence  commanding  a  view  of  the  whole  town.  In  the  days  of  the  stage 
coach  it  was  the  first  object  in  Berkeley  Springs  to  greet  the  eye  of  the 
visitor  as  he  crossed  Warm  Spring  mountain,  entering  town.  When  first 
built  it  contained  four  rooms,  three  of  which  were  opened  for  school  pur- 
poses. This  building  cost  between  six  and  seven  thousand  dollars.  A 
plot  of  four  acres,  properly  fenced,  surrounds  it  and  the  sloping  grounds 
are  covered  with  fine  old  oaks,  the  delight  of  all  those  who  have  spent 
many  years  at  the  Academy. 

The  first  principal  at  Mt.  Wesley  was  Chas.  A.  Waynant,  of  Beaver, 
Pa.,  who  served  from  1878  to  1880.  Other  principals  since  have  served  as 
follows:  H.  W.  All  wine,  of  York,  Pa.,  1880  to  1883;  E.  E.  Mercer,  of  Fair- 
mont, W.  Va.,  1883  to  1889;  C.  J.  C.  Bennett,  of  Fairmont,  1889  to  1890; 
W.  C.  Miller,  of  Fairmont,  1890  to  1891;  M.  H.  Willis,  of  West  Union,  1891 
to  1893;  E.  E.  Mercer,  1893  to  1895;  G.  M.  Bassell,  of  Lost  Creek,  1895  to 
1896;  E.  E.  Mercer,  1896  to  1899;  R.  E.  Allen,  the  first  principal  from  Mor- 
gan county,  1899  to  1900;  J.  X.  Fries,  of  Dayton,  Va.,  1900  to  1904;  John 


WEST  VIRGINIA  167 

Buchanan,  of  Berkeley  Springs,  1904  to  1905;  H.  E.  Swope,  of  Windber, 
Pa.,  1905  to  1907. 

In  1892  the  Board  of  Education  composed  of  Mr.  J.  W.  Johnson,  Mr. 
W.  H.  Somers  and  Mr.  W.  H.  Brady,  had  erected  an  addition  of  two  rooms 
to  Mt.  Wesley  at  a  cost  of  $1175.  Six  teachers  were  then  employed.  Again 
in  1905  the  Board  of  Education,  composed  of  Mr.  C.  E.  Hunter,  Mr.  John 
M.  Miller  and  Mr.  John  T.  Kerns,  found  it  necessary  to  relieve  the  crowded 
condition  of  Mt.  Wesley.  In  consequence  in  the  northern  part  of  town 
was  erected  an  up-to-date  one-room  building  for  primary  instruction. 
This  building  cost  $1500.  This  is  the  beginning  of  what  will  be  a  few 
years  hence,  an  imposing  ward  school.  With  the  opening  of  this  building 
the  eighth  teacher  was  added  to  the  faculty.  Our  numbers  are  increasing. 
In  1875  two  teachers  were  employed  in  the  public  schools  of  Berkeley 
Springs,  with  an  enrollment  of  fifty-nine.  In  1907,  the  enrollment  has  in- 
creased to  345. 

This  school  is  equipped  for  advancement,  and  good  work  is  being 
done  in  all  the  grades.  A  Bible  is  on  the  teacher's  desk  in  every  room. 
The  library  contains  800  volumes  of  choice  books  suited  to  all  grades. 
These  books  are  properly  shelved  and  catalogued  and  trustworthy  librar- 
ians have  them  in  charge.  A  special  effort  was  made  this  year  to  supply 
the  little  people  with  the  best  literature  obtainable.  The  effort  was  suc- 
cessful and  we  now  have  a  number  of  excellent  books  for  the  primary 
grades.  These  books  are  kept  in  a  case  to  themselves  on  the  lower  floor; 
they  are  easy  of  access  and  in  the  care  a  special  librarian.  A  year  ago 
the  school  bought  an  excellent  piano.  This  was  duly  installed  and  added 
greatly  to  the  pleasant  side  of  school  life.  It  has  been  a  decided  factor  in 
moral  development  as  well.  The  school  also  has  an  organ  in  use. 

Last  but  not  least  is  the  new  course  of  study  recently  arranged.  It 
outlines  the  work  pursued  by  the  pupils  from  the  first  grade  to  the  senior 
class  in  the  High  School.  This  is  printed  in  a  neat  pamphlet,  which  con- 
tains also  a  list  of  graduates  of  Mt.  Wesley  dating  from  1899,  when  the 
system  was  first  established,  and  a  list  of  rules  governing  the  use  of  the 
library. 


The  Bluefield  Public  Schools. 

BY    J.    W.    TINSLEY,    SUPERINTENDENT. 
THE    CITY. 

The  city  of  Bluefield,  situated  on  the  Norfolk  and  Western  railroad,  ten 
miles  east  of  the  great  Flat  Top  Coal  Fields,  has  had  a  phenomenal  ma- 
terial growth,  and  the  educational  interests  have  by  no  means  been  neg- 
lected. 

Where  in  1888,  the  farmer  cultivated  his  fields  and  his  cattle  grazed 
over  the  hills  undisturbed,  is  now  (1906)  Bluefield,  a  hustling  city  of 
14,000  inhabitants,  with  a  school  population  of  approximately  2,200. 


.168  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

SCHOOL  BUILDINGS. 

The  first  shool  building  was  a  frame  house  of  four  rooms,  erected 
in  1889.  But  this  did  not  supply  the  growing  population  with  adequate 
accommodations  very  long,  and  in  1895  an  attractive,  modern  brick  build- 
ing of  ten  school  rooms  and  an  office,  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $20,000. 

A  suitable  building  of  four  rooms,  with  large  halls  and  cloak-rooms,  is 
now  nearing  completion  in  South  Bluefield.  The  four-acre  lot  and  the 
building  cost  $8,000. 

An  addition  of  two  large  rooms,  with  an  upper  and  a  lower  hall, 
and  cloak-rooms,  has  recently  been  completed  for  the  accommodation  of 
pupils  attending  the  West  End  School.  The  latter  building,  therefore,  has 
six  rooms.  The  city  now  has,  including  the  six-room  building  for  the 
colored  school,  six  buildings. 

Heating  and  ventilation  in  the  High  School  building  are  secured 
by  the  Peck-Hammond  system.  Automatic  self-flushing  sanitary  closets 
have  been  recently  installed  in  the  High  School  and  West  End  building. 

GRADED     SCHOOL. 

The  history  of  the  public  schools  of  Bluefield,  as  a  graded  system, 
had  its  beginning  in  1893,  when  the  Board  of  Education  established  a 
Graded  School  and  appointed  Mr.  N.  B.  Studebaker,  Principal,  with  eight 
assistant  teachers.  Mr.  Studebaker  was  Principal  tor  two  years,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Mr.  J.  J.  D.  Medley,  who,  with  thirteen  assistants, 
served  until  his  death  in  February,  1897.  Mr.  V.  V.  Austin  was  made  act- 
ing Principal  for  the  rest  of  the  school  year. 

Mr.  C.  A.  Fulwider  was  elected  Principal  in  the  autumn  of  1897, 
and  served  in  that  capacity  until  1903,  when  he  was  made  city  superin- 
tendent and  principal  of  the  High  School. 

The  two  positions  were  made  distinct  at  the  beginning  of  the  pres- 
ent school  year.  Mr.  Fulwider  was  retained  as  Principal  of  the  High 
School,  and  J.  W  Tinsley  was  elected  as  Superitendent,  the  entire  time 
of  whom  is  devoted  to  the  distinctive  duties  of  his  office. 

The  corps  of  teachers  now  numbers  twenty-five  for  the  five  build- 
ings, and  six  for  the  colored  school. 

SALARIES. 

Teachers  holding  No.  1  certificates  are  paid  $50  per  month;  those 
holding  No.  2  certificates  receive  $40  per  month.  The  teacher  of  the  8th 
grade  of  the  Grammar  school,  who  is  also  secretary  of  the  Faculty,  is 
paid  $65  per  month.  The  Principal  of  the  High  School  receives  $100 
per  month,  and  the  teachers  in  that  department,  $55  per  month.  The 
Superintendent  is  paid  for  services  covering  the  entire  twelve  months  of 
the  year. 

COURSE    OF    STUDY. 

Previous  to  the  year  1903,  the  course  of  study  comprised  only  the  com- 
mon school  branches  with  the  addition  of  algebra,  literature,  rhetoric, 
and  geometry.  In  1903,  the  High  School  was  organized,  and  the  course 


|    UNIVERSITY   } 


WEST  VIRGINIA  169 

arranged  to  include  thirteen  years;  three  primary,  four  intermediate, 
two  grammar,  and  four  high  school.  The  High  Shool  course  includes 
grammar,  rhetoric,  history,  literature,  physical  geography,  algebra,  Latin, 
German,  geometry,  physics,  botany,  geology,  and  chemistry. 

DISCIPLINE. 

Each  teacher  has  charge  of  his  room  for  disciplinary  purposes,  and 
in  all  matters  of  discipline  the  teacher  is  held  responsible,  every  en- 
couragement being  given  to  make  teachers  independent  of  other  author- 
ity in  the  matter  of  the  exercise  of  discipline.  An  appeal  from  the  teach- 
er to  the  Superitendent  is  allowed.  Teachers  are  held  to  strict  ac- 
countability to  the  Superintendent;  the  latter,  however,  reenforces  the 
authority  of  the  teacher  over  the  pupil.  A  report  of  each  pupil  is  sent 
to  the  parents  at  the  end  of  each  month,  showing  his  record  for  attend- 
ance, punctuality,  deportment  and  scholarship.  Those  who  are  neither 
tardy  nor  absent  during  the  month,  and  have  an  average  of  90%  in 
scholarship,  and  whose  deportment  is  good,  are  put  on  the  honor  roll, 
the  room  attaining  the  greatest  percentage  of  such  to  its  enrollment  hav- 
ing the  privilege  of  early  dismissal  on  the  afternoon  of  the  Monday  fol- 
lowing the  end  of  the  school  month. 

Interest  has  been  aroused  in  behalf  of  the  establishment  of  libraries 
in  the  various  rooms  of  the  different  buildings,  and  pupils  and  others 
are  making  liberal  contributions  for  this  purpose. 

The  teachers  are  organized  for  meetings  on  alternate  weeks,  and  are 
pursuing  the  professional  course  of  study  prescribed  by  State  Superin- 
tendent Miller  for  the  West  Virginia  Teachers'  Reading  Circle. 

The  teachers,  as  a  rule,  are  ambitious  to  excel  and  are  performing 
satisfactory  work.  Several  of  them  are  graduates  of  Normal  Schools  and 
the  others  have  received  training  at  other  reputable  schools.  When  they 
show  inefficiency,  they  are  eliminated,  it  being  the  purpose  of  the  school 
authorities  to  surround  our  pupils  with  the  best  talent  available  under  the 
conditions. 

ENROLLMENT   OF    PUPILS    FOB    1906-7. 

There  are  now  enrolled  over  1,200  white  and  300  colored  children. 
These  numbers  will  be  increased  as  winter  approaches. 


The  Public  Schools  of  Buckhannon. 

BY    EX-SUPERINTENDENT   U.    I.    JENKINS. 

Any  history  of  the  educational  development  of  this  town,  so  far  as 
that  history  may  relate  to  the  Public  Schools  only,  must  be  somewhat  in- 
definite, since  the  records  of  all  proceedings  prior  to  1881  were  destroyed 
by  fire.  While  the  oldest  citizens  of  the  place  can  give  much  of  interest 
and  profit  concerning  the  early  schools,  such  information  is  not  reliable 
enouglf  for  history.  With  this  apology  for  his  inaccuracies,  the  writer 


170  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

compiles  those  facts  that  seem  to  him  most  likely  to  interest  the  student 
of  our  educational  progress. 

In  this  town  much  attention  was  given  to  education  before  the  organ- 
ization of  the  public  schools.  In  1847  an  act  was  passed  by  the  General 
Assembly  of  Virginia,  providing  for  the  establishment  of  the  Buckhannon 
Male  and  Female  Academy.  The  school  was  opened  soon  after,  and  con- 
tinued in  operation  until  after  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War.  The  school 
building  stood  a  little  way  back  from  West  Main  street,  not  far  from  the 
present  site  of  the  Episcopal  church.  This  Academy  furnished  many 
teachers  to  Upshur  and  other  counties,  and  laid  the  foundation  for  the 
higher  school  with  which  the  town  is  now  blessed.  Ex-Mayor  T.  G..  Farns- 
worth,  present  member  of  the  Board  of  Education  of  this  town,  was  a  stu- 
dent there,  and  later  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Directors. 

The  free  school  system  went  into  operation  here  about  1865  or  1866, 
soon  after  the  suspension  of  work  by  the  Academy.  The  first  teacher  was 
one  Mr.  Barren,  who  was  given  fifty  dollars  a  month  for  his  services.  He 
was  a  man  of  scholastic  attainments,  and  soon  was  able  to  command 
higher  wages  than  the  town  could  afford  to  give;  so,  his  services  were 
lost  to  this  people. 

It  is  of  interest  to  note  that  Senator  D.  D.  T.  Farnsworth,  who  has 
held  almost  every  office  in  the  gift  of  the  people  from  that  of  school  trust- 
ee to  Lieutenant  Governor,  was  the  first  school  trustee.  His  interest  and 
influence  in  education  are  shown  by  the  fact  that  in  the  year  1878  he, 
supported  by  George  Clark,  Capt.  A.  M.  Poundstone,  Dr.  G.  A.  Newlon  and 
others,  employed  Miss  Anna  Gait,  a  college-bred  woman  from  Virginia,  to 
conduct  a  private  school.  This  teacher  prepared  several  students  to  enier 
Broaddus  College  at  Clarksburg,  W.  Va.  Senator  Farnsworth  also  served 
eighteen  years  as  regent  of  the  West  Virginia  University. 

Among  the  early  teachers  of  note  were  Captain  Gould,  now  of  the 
Territory  of  Alaska;  Senator  R.  F.  Kidd,  for  a  long  time  one  of  the  most 
enthusiastic  and  most  successful  teachers  in  this  part  of  the  State,  and 
now  a  lawyer  of  Glenville,  W.  Va.;  Col.  George  R.  Latham,  later  a  Minis- 
ter of  the  United  States  to  Australia,  now  a  citizen  of  the  town. 

To  dwell  further  upon  the  early  history  of  our  schools  would  be  to 
repeat  what  is,  substantially,  the  history  of  every  school.  Difference  of 
names  does  not  essentially  make  difference  of  history.  No  strong  person- 
alities come  upon  the  scene  to  leave  the  impress  of  their  characters. 
No  evolution  in  education,  or  change  in  administration  of  school  affairs 
comes  to  develop  here  a  system  of  schools  peculiarly  strong  or  unique,  or 
in  any  way  different  from  ordinary  schools.  So,  we  pass  from  the  time 
when  we  rely  upon  memory,  to  the  days  of  authentic  records. 

In  1881,  J.  O.  Stevens  and  three  assistants  were  chosen  to  teach  in 
the  public  schools,  and  Principal  Stevens  remained  two  years.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  he  resigned  to  take  the  principalship  of  the  Normal  and 
Classical  Academy,  a  denominational  school  which  was  opened  in  the  town 
in  1883  (?).  He  was  succeeded  by  E.  O.  Hall,  and  he  by  T.  E.  Hodges. 
Following  him  in  the  order  named  were  E.  C.  Ravenscraft,  J.  F.  Og€en,  C. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  171 

W.  Milam,  F.  H.  Crago,  W.  R.  White,  H.  A.  Darnall,  F.  F.  Farnsworth, 
and  U.  T.  Jenkins. 

Further  personal  mention  of  some  of  these  superintendents  may  be 
of  interest.  E.  C.  Ravenscraft  was  the  first  to  grade  the  schools  of  the 
town,  and  introduce  a  course  of  study.  J.  F.  Ogden  spent  the  last  years 
of  his  life  in  teaching  in  the  West  Virginia  Conference  Seminary  at  this 
place.  F.  H.  Crago  has  for  years  been  one  of  the  principals  in  the  Wheel- 
ing city  schools.  W.  R.  White  was  first  State  Superintendent  of  Free 
Schools  in  this  State,  and  first  principal  of  the  Fairmont  Normal  School. 

To  give  even  a  brief  biography  of  these  distinguished  men  would  be 
foreign  to  the  purpose  of  this  article;  and,  much  as  the  writer  would  like 
to  dwell  upon  their  influence  and  achievements,  he  must  forego  the  pleas- 
ure in  order  that  he  may  dwell  further  upon  that  which  more  vitally  con- 
cerns our  own  progress  as  a  public  school. 

Whatever  advancement  has  been  made  by  a  change  of  principals  or 
superintendents,  that  advancement  has  not  been  due  to  increased  salaries. 
An  examination  of  the  county  records  reveals  the  fact  that  the  teachers 
in  the  "grades"  of  our  town  schools  are  receiving  the  same  salary  today 
as  was  paid,  on  an  average,  to  teachers  who  taught  in  this  county  the  first 
year  of  the  organization  of  free  schools  in  this  part  of  the  State. 

Available  records  of  the  town  show  that,  between  1881  and  1891, 
four  different  principals  received  $75.00  a  month,  one  received  $85.00,  two 
received  $95.00,  and  only  one  received  as  little  as  $65.00.  In  1891  F.  H. 
Crago  received  $120.00  and  W.  R.  White  received  $100.00  in  1892.  At 
no  time  since,  until  the  present  year,  has  more  than  $75.00  been  paid,  and 
once  only  $70.00. 

According  to  the  best  information  obtainable,  the  public  schools  of 
the  town  were  opened  in  a  part  of  the  building  now  occupied  by  the  High 
School  department.  A  lot  costing  $500.00  was  purchased  from  Senator  D. 
D.  T.  Farnsworth,  and  on  it  was  erected  a  substantial  four-room  building. 
In  1884  the  building  was  remodeled  and  enlarged  to  eight  rooms.  It  has 
frequently  undergone  repairs  and  refurnishing,  so  that  many  thousands 
of  dollars  have  been  put  into  it.  In  1894  or  '95  a  building  of  two  rooms 
was  erected  in  the  southern  part  of  town  and  was  used  for  the  white  chil- 
dren until  1897.  Since  that  time  it  has  been  used  for  the  colored  children. 

The  year  1897  marks  one  of  the  greatest  achievements  on  the  part 
of  the  local  board.  At  that  time  the  West  Virginia  Normal  and  Classical 
Academy,  sometimes  known  as  Union  College,  was  sold  for  debt.  Our 
Board,  composed  of  Dr.  T.  G.  Farnsworth,  A.  M.  Liggett,  and  C.  A.  Bailey, 
acting  upon  Jeffersonian  principles  of  statesmanship,  purchased  this  prop- 
erty for  the  small  sum  of  five  thousand  dollars.  Although  they  felt  that 
they  had  "stretched  their  power  until  it  cracked"  by  creating  a  debt  for 
such  a  purpose,  they  nevertheless  felt  it  a  great  opportunity  thus  to  pro- 
vide for  the  future.  So  progressive  and  so  statesmanlike  was  their  action 
in  this  matter,  that  no  one  ever  called  it  in  question;  and  today  we  are  in 
possession  of  a  good  eight-room  building,  and  as  beautiful  a  campus  as  na- 
ture could  provide.  Well  may  it  be  said  of  them  twenty  years  hence, 
"that  they  builded  better  than  they  knew."  There  are  many  reasons  why 


172  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

we  may  believe  that,  within  a  year  or  two,  the  Board  will  provide  a 
modern  school  building.  While  we  have  fared  reasonably  well  during  the 
past,  public  sentiment  is  rapidly  growing  in  favor  of  better  accommoda- 
tions ,and  doubtless  they  will  soon  be  provided. 

Although  the  town  has,  as  citizens,  a  large  number  of  distinguished 
educators  prominent  in  this  State,  no  effort  has  ever  been  made  to  secure 
them  as  members  of  the  Board  of  Education;  but  representative  business 
men  have  never  been  wanting.  At  present  the  Board  is  composed  of  J. 
M.  Chidester,  assistant  postmaster;  Sanford  Graham,  assistant  bank 
cashier;  Dr.  T.  G.  Farnsworth,  ex-Mayor.  It  is  to  such  men  that  we  owe 
the  possession  of  valuable  property. 

During  the  last  several  years  the  board  has  been  employing  a  man  to 
act  in  the  capacity  of  superintendent,  and  he  has  been  discharging  the 
duties  of  one;  but  according  to  existing  laws  for  this  independent  district, 
the  Board  has  no  such  authority.  A  new  charter  will  be  sought  at  the 
next  session  of  our  Legislature,  and,  if  granted,  it  will  prove  of  great 
service  to  those  who  labor  under  it.  The  course  of  study  has  been  changed 
from  time  to  time,  until  now  it  includes  the  average  work  done  by  pri- 
mary, intermediate,  and  grammar  department,  and  four  years  of  High 
School  work. 

In  most  things,  our  tendency  is  decidedly  upward.  The  location  of 
the  Seminary  here  has  made  it  impossible  to  keep  in  the  public  school, 
until  they  graduate,  some  pupils  who  otherwise  would  remain;  on  the 
other  hand,  this  higher  institution  of  learning  has  given  such  an  inspira- 
tion for  better  things,  and  has  given  us  so  many  excellent  teachers  that, 
on  the  whole,  it  has  been  very  helpful  to  the  public  schools.  It  has  been 
estimated  that  four-fifths  of  the  public  school  graduates  enter  the  Sem- 
inary. The  class  of  1907  is  composed  of  five  boys  and  ten  girls,  and  is 
the  largest  in  the  history  of  the  school. 


Cameron  Public  Schools. 

BY   A.   D.  GIVENS,   PRINCIPAL. 

Any  history  of  the  development  of  the  Cameron  Public  Schools  in 
their  earlier  stages  must,  of  necessity,  be  very  meager,  as  the  records  are 
not  clear,  and  furnish  no  definite  information  regarding  the  erection  of 
buildings. 

The  earliest  record  of  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Education  is  that 
of  September  2,  1865,  the  meeting  being  held  at  Glen  Easton  for  the 
"purpose  of  reporting  on  the  enumeration  of  youth  in  Cameron  Town- 
ship." 

The  earliest  record  we  have  that  relates  directly  in  any  manner  to 
the  history  of  the  Cameron  schools  is  of  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion at  Glen  Easton,  April  20,  1866.  At  this  meeting  it  was  decided  "to 
purchase  a  site  from  John  Parkinson  on  the  Waynesburg  Road,  near  Rock 


WEST  VIRGINIA  173 

Lick,  one  from  George  Hubbs,  in  'Glen  Easton,  and  also  one  from  Dr. 
Stidger,  in  Cameron. 

However,  there  is  no  record  relating  to  the  erection  of  a  building  until 
1869.  During  this  year  a  two-story  frame  building  containing  two  rooms 
was  erected  on  a  lot  purchased  of  David  McConoughey.  This  building 
adequately  served  its  purpose  until  1878,  when  it  was  found  that  the 
school  had  outgrown  its  quarters  to  such  an  extent  that  more  room  was 
a  necessity.  To  relieve  this  condition  the  old  Disciple  Church  was  pur- 
chased and  used  as  a  school  building.  This  building  filled  the  demand 
until  1891,  when  a  two-story  brick  building  containing  four  rooms  was 
erected.  Again  in  1900  the  school  had  outgrown  the  building  and  a  two- 
room  annex  was  built,  making  six  rooms  in  all.  Again  in  1903  it  was 
found  necessary  to  relieve  the  overcrowded  condition  and  two  rooms  in 
another  part  of  the  city  were  rented  and  furnished  for  school  purposes. 
In  1906  temporary  relief  was  again  secured  by  renting  another  room  in 
the  city.  On  November,  1906,  Cameron  voted  to  issue  bonds  in  the  sum 
of  $35,000  for  a  High  School  building,  and  ere  the  dawn  of  another 
school  year  the  present  unsatisfactory  quarters  will  be  swept  away  and 
replaced  by  a  magnificent  modern  structure  that  will  be  both  an  orna- 
ment and  an  honor  to  Cameron. 

In  1887  Cameron  School  was  made  a  graded  school,  with  the  require- 
ments for  graduation  limited  to  the  common  school  branches  until  1900, 
when  Algebra,  Physical  Geography,  and  American  Literature  were  added 
to  the  course  of  study.  Again  in  1903  Drawing,  Rhetoric,  Plane  Geometry 
and  First  Year  Latin  were  added. 

The  year  1906  marked  the  beginning  of  a  course  of  study  in  keeping 
with  other  schools  of  a  similar  grade.  Within  the  coming  year  sufficient 
additions  will  be  made  to  the  course  to  make  the  work  preparatory  to 
the  University. 

The  school  has  a  library  of  over  six  hundred  volumes,  embracing 
history,  fiction,  biography,  oratory  and  essays,  besides  works  of  reference. 
For  the  most  part  the  library  fund  is  maintained  by  the  pupils  of  the 
school.  Contributions  are  made,  and  it  has  been  customary  for  the 
school  to  give  an  entertainment  each  year  for  the  purpose  of  raising 
additional  funds. 


Ceredo  Independent  District. 

(Ceredo  and  Kenova.) 

BY    SUPERINTENDENT    G.    OTTO    GRADY. 

Ceredo  was  settled  by  people  from  the  New  England  States  in  1857. 
The  schools  of  Wayne  County  were  organized  in  1865.  Mrs.  A.  M.  Poore 
taught  the  first  free  school  in  Ceredo  in  the  old  Union  Church.  In  the 
following  year  the  town  was  incorporated  through  the  efforts  of 
Lucian  Ayers.  * 

On  the  28th  of  February,  1872,  by  an  act  of  the  Legislature  of  West 


174  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

Virginia,  what  had  until  that  time  been  known  as  School  District  No. 
1,  of  Ceredo  Township,  was  set  apart  as  the  Independent  School  District 
of  Ceredo.  This  act  was  amended  and  re-enacted  in  1879. 

Nature  has  richly  endowed  the  district  with  beauty.  The  level  flood 
plains  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio,  backed  by  the  hills;  the  ever-changing 
condition  of  the  waters  of  the  Big  Sandy;  the  meandering  of  the  Twelve 
Pole  through  groves  of  sycamores  and  elms  present  at  all  seasons  of  the 
year  a  source  of  pleasure  and  food  for  reflection. 

By  the  provisions  of  the  act  above  referred  to,  Z.  D.  Ramsdell,  Hurston 
Spurlock  and  Charles  B.  Webb  were  appointed  as  the  first  School  •om- 
missioners.  These  gentlemen  met  for  organization  on  March  14,  1872. 
After  all  were  duly  sworn  into  office  by  the  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court 
Mr.  Z.  D.  Ramsdell  was  chosen  president  of  the  board,  and  for  temporary 
organization  Mr.  Charles  B.  Webb  was  chosen  secretary,  and  Hurston 
Spurlock  treasurer. 

During  the  thirty-five  years  since  the  establishment  of  the  district, 
the  average  term  of  office  of  the  secretary  (not  including  the  first  secre- 
tary, who  was  but  secretary  pro  tern.)  has  been  four  years;  the  average 
term  of  office  of  the  superintendent  or  principal  has  been  less  than  two 
years;  Mr.  Collier,  until  recently  secretary  of  the  board,  held  that  office 
almost  thirteen  of  the  thirty-five  years;  at  the  time  of  his  death,  January 
4,  1907,  he  had  been  a  Commissioner  twenty  of  the  thirty-five  years.  The 
painstaking,  honest  efforts  of  these  two  gentlemen  have  done  much  to 
bring  the  schools  to  their  present  state  of  efficiency. 

One  of  the  first  acts  of  the  first  Board  of  Education  was  to  improve 
tHe  school  property  by  planting  trees  and  enclosing  the  lot  with  a  fence. 
In  1886  the  capacity  of  the  building  was  increased  from  two  to  four 
rooms.  Some  time  before  this  it  was  necessary  to  rent  an  extra  room 
for  school  purposes.  In  1894  the  building  was  further  enlarged  to  six 
rooms.  This  building  was  used  until  destroyed  by  fire,  in  1895. 

The  fire  occurred  Friday,  October  6,  1895.  By  Tuesday  morning  the 
schools  were  housed  in  rented  rooms  in  various  parts  of  the  town,  rough 
boards  serving  as  benches  and  desks.  School  was  taught  on  the  following 
Saturday;  thus  the  burning  of  the  building  did  not  cause  the  loss  of  a 
single  day  of  school. 

This  catastrophe  at  the  time  seemed  to  be  a  very  serious  matter, 
but  it  was  really  a  blessing  in  disguise,  for  on  the  same  site  was  erected 
a  splendid  eight-room  brick  building,  which  at  present  is  known  as  the 
Central  building  of  the  district.  At  present  plans  are  being  made  to 
enlarge  this  building,  that  better  accommodations  may  be  provided  for  the 
High  School. 

Kenova  was  incorporated  as  a  town  in  1895,  but  in  1893  a  two-room 
frame  building  was  built  in  that  part  of  the  district.  In  1898  this  was 
enlarged  to  four  rooms,  and  at  the  present  time  plans  are  being  made 
for  a  new  house,  to  be  constructed  of  brick  or  concrete. 

The  first  principal  of  the  Kenova  schools  was  Mr.  Charles  Hazard, 
-who  was  elected  in  1893.  In  1895  Miss  Maggie  Kelley  was  elected  to  the 
position,  and  in  1897  Mr.  W.  W.  Smith.  The  next  principal  was  Mr.  F.  A. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  175 

Mitchell,  elected  in  1898.  He  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  E.  O.  Saunders  in 
1899,  who  still  occupies  the  position.  Mr.  Saunders  has  the  distinction  to 
have  been  employed  as  a  teacher  in  the  district  for  a  longer  term  than 
any  other. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  state  just  when  the  High  School  was  organ- 
ized, for  it  was  a  gradual  outgrowth  of  the  school  system.  The  first 
class  to  graduate  was  in  1894.  Until  1897  the  superintendent,  or  principal, 
as  he  was  then  designated,  did  all  the  teaching  in  the  High  School;  but 
in  that  year  Mr.  E.  Diefenbach  was  elected  principal  of  the  High  School. 
He  was  succeeded  in  1898  by  Miss  Elizabeth  Clinefelter,  who  was  suc- 
ceeded in  1899  by  Mr.  B.  E.  Morris.  Miss  Anna  Lederer,  elected  in  1901, 
is  at  present  the  principal. 

On  May  4,  1900,  the  Ceredo  High  School  was  placed  on  the  accredited 
list  of  the  West  Virginia  University.  The  present  course  of  study  em- 
braces the  following:  Latin,  four  years;  German,  one  year;  English, 
four  years;  History  (Ancient,  Modern  and  American),  two  and  a  half 
years;  Mathematics,  two  and  a  half  years;  Science,  four  years.  The 
equipment  for  teaching  Chemistry  and  Physics  is  good  and  is  being  con- 
stantly added  to. 

The  Amendment  of  the  Act  of  1899,  referred  to  in  the  first  part  of 
this  sketch  provided  that  a  tax  of  two-tenths  of  a  mill  on  the  dollar 
could  be  levied  for  library  purposes.  As  a  result  two  fine  libraries  have 
been  established  —  one  in  the  Ceredo  building,  of  about  2,000  volumes, 
and  another  in  the  Kenova  building,  of  about  1,000  volumes.  The  books 
are  well  bound,  well  chosen  and  much  used. 


Clarksburg  Public  Schools. 

BY    SUPERINTENDENT    F.    L.    BURDETTE. 
HISTORY. 

Schools  of  some  kind  were  taught  in  Clarksburg  from  her  earliest 
settlement.  Tradition  asserts  that  immediately  after  the  Revolutionary 
War  private  schools  in  the  town,  then  the  new  location  for  the  Court- 
house of  Harrison  County,  were  in  charge  of  teachers  of  the  better  type 
for  that  period.  The  first  attempt  to  establish  a  regular  school  was  made 
in  1787,  when  the  old  Randolph  Academy  was  chartered  by  an  act  of  the 
Virginia  Legislature.  Among  the  names  of  trustees  appointed  to  take 
charge  of  the  school  were  those  of  James  Madison  and  George  Mason, 
now  illustrious  in  the  history  of  Virginia  and  of  the  nation.  For  the 
support  of  the  academy  one-sixth  of  the  surveyors'  fees  collected  in  the 
counties  of  Northwest  Virginia  were  appropriated.  The  Academy  was 
intended  to  be  a  preparatory  school  for  William  and  Mary  College,  for 
which  institution  the  surveyors'  fees  had  previously  been  appropriated. 
In  1789  the  Legislature  authorized  the  trustees  to  raise  by  lottery  an 
additional  sum  for  the  use  of  the  Academy,  which  amount  was  not  to 


176  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

exceed  the  value  of  one  thousand  pounds  of  tobacco.  The  grounds  were 
donated  by  Hezekiah  Davisson  and  the  building  was  ready  for  the  recep- 
tion of  students  in  1790.  Rev.  George  Towers,  a  graduate  of  Oxford, 
England,  was  the  first  professor  in  charge,  and  he  remained  at  the  head 
of  the  school  for  many  years.  He  taught  Latin,  Hebrew,  Greek,  and  the 
sciences.  At  a  later  period  the  Virginia  Legislature  again  authorized 
an  additional  sum  to  be  raised  for  the  school  by  lottery. 

In  1842  the  old  Randolph  Academy  was  merged  into  a  new  institu- 
tion, incorporated  under  the  name  of  the  Northwestern  Academy  of  Vir- 
ginia, which  was  established  on  the  site  and  in  the  building  of  the  old 
Academy.  This  new  institution  was  under  the  direction  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  had  a  strong  course  of  more  than  college  preparatory 
work,  and  received  a  liberal  support  in  donations  and  patronage.  The 
old  building'  was  burned  in  1844,  and  was  replaced  by  a  brick  structure  on 
the  old  site,  a  part  of  which  continued  in  use  for  school  purposes  till 
1895.  The  doors  of  the  Northwestern  Academy  were  open  regularly  ten 
months  out  of  the  year  for  the  reception  of  students  till  1861  or  1862, 
when  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  called  its  students  and  teachers  to 
other  scenes.  During  the  war  the  building  was  used  for  a  prison  and 
barracks.  In  1865  the  last  session  of  the  Northwestern  Academy  was  taught 
by  the  Rev.  John  Connor,  a  minister  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
During  that  year  the  first  public  schools  were  taught  in  rooms  rented  in 
different  parts  of  the  town.  In  1866  the  entire  Academy  property, 
grounds,  building,  and  equipment,  were  turned  over  for  the  use  of  the 
public  schools;  but  no  transfer  of  title  was  made.  In  1867  the  Clarksburg 
Independent  School  District  was  established  by  legislative  enactment.  In 
1878  an  act  of  the  West  Virginia  Legislature  vested  the  title  of  all  such 
school  property  as  that  of  the  Northwestern  Academy  in  the  regularly 
constituted  public  school  authorities.  In  this  case  the  splendid  site  of  the 
present  Central  High  School,  containing  one  and  one-half  acres  in  the 
center  of  Clarksburg,  thus  became  the  property  of  the  public  schools  of  the 
city.  Randolph  Academy,  1790-1842;  Northwestern  Academy  of  Virginia, 
1842-1866;  Clarksburg  Public  Schools,  1866  to  the  present  time,  have,  in 
succession,  come  into  possession  of  the  same  property  and  received  the 
public  support  and  patronage. 

During  the  first  session  of  the  public  schools  in  1865  - 1866,  there  were 
three  teachers..  The  first  Board  of  Education  for  Clarksburg  Independent 
District,  in  1867,  consisted  of  Daniel  Boughner,  R.  T.  Lowndes,  and  B.  F. 
Shuttleworth.  The  first  principal  of  the  schools,  in  1866-1867,  was  Rev. 
John  Connor,  with  John  Blackford  and  Misses  Isabella  Davisson,  Molly 
Lynn  and  Emily  Griffin  as  assistants.  The  following  principals  and  su- 
perintendents have  since  been  in  charge: 

1867  - 1868  —  Julius  Anderson  and  four  teachers. 

18£8  - 1873  —  Dr.  William  Meigs  and  four  to  six  teachers. 

1873  - 1878  —  D.  C.  Lonebery  and  six  teachers. 

1878  - 1882  —  C.  W.  Lynch  and  eight  teachers. 

1882  - 1892  —  John  G.  Gittings  and  eight  to  ten  teachers. 

1892  - 1895  —  L.  J.  Corbly  and  ten  to  thirteen  teachers. 


NEW  BUILDING  AT  HINTON. 


NEW  MARTINSVILLE  HIGH   SCHOOL. 


178  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

History  of  the  Charleston  Schools. 

BY    SUPERINTENDENT  GEORGE   S.   LAIDLEY. 

The  free  schools  of  Charleston  were  organized  in  the  fall  of  1864,. 
the  year  following  the  admission  of  the  State  into  the  Union.  The  first 
school  for  white  children  was  taught  by  Mr.  J.  T.  Brodt.  In  the  same 
year  a  school  for  colored  youth  was  organized,  taught  by  Miss  Olive 
Sparrow.  These  schools  were  very  small  and  poorly  patronized.  The 
buildings  used  were  wholly  unsuited  to  school  purposes.  The  first  school 
was  taught  in  the  basement  of  the  Methodist  Church,  and  as  late  as  1868 
the  best  accommodation  for  schools  was  a  rickety  frame  building,  scarcely 
fit  for  a  stable. 

In  this  year  the  Board  of  Education,  composed  of  progressive  men, 
determined  to  secure  a  better  building.  They  met  with  much  opposition, 
but  were  eventually  sucessful  in  carrying  out  their  intention.  They 
erected  the  Union  School,  a  two-story  building  situated  on  State  street, 
then  the  center  of  the  town.  When  completed  the  building  could  accom- 
modate about  three  hundred  pupils.  All  the  white  schools  of  the  town 
were  then  consolidated  in  the  new  building. 

In  1871  by  an  act  of  the  Legislature  the  control  of  the  city  schools 
was  given  to  the  City  Council.  It  remained  thus  for  ten  years,  when  it 
was  again  transferred  to  a  city  Board  of  Education.  One  of  the  most 
progressive  principals  of  this  period  was  Mr.  S.  H.  Patrick,  who  had 
control  of  the  schools  from  1873  to  1878.  During  this  time  he  drew  up  a 
course  of  study,  —  the  first  standard  adopted  for  grading  the  schools. 

Mr.  George  S.  Laidley  was  appointed  superintendent  in  1878.  With 
the  exception  of  the  years  1881  - 1883,  he  has  held  the  position  continuously 
till  the  present  time.  There  is  little  to  be  said  of  the  history  of  the 
schools  from  1883  to  1895,  except  that  they  continued  to  grow  in  enroll- 
ment and  in  adaptation  to  the  needs  of  the  city.  The  uninteresting 
character  of  the  annals  of  this  period  indicates  the  prosperity  of  the 
schools. 

There  was  a  notable  progress  in  one  direction  in  these  years.  The 
school  buildings  at  present  in  use  were  built  to  replace  the  older  struc- 
tures, now  grown  inadequate  for  the  increased  population.  The  houses 
built  at  this  time  were  of  brick,  and  furnished  with  modern  appliances. 
Ample  grounds  around  the  schools  afford  the  pupils  an  opportunity  for 
outdoor  sports. 

In  1895  the  towns  on  the  northwest  side  of  Elk  River  were  added 
to  the  city  limits.  At  the  same  time  the  school  districts  were  made  co- 
extensive with  the  city.  Two  new  schools  were  opened  in  this  part  of  the 
city,  and  a  few  years  later  the  Lincoln  School,  a  handsome  brick  build- 
ing, was  erected  a  short  distance  below  Elk  River. 

The  limits  of  the  city  were  further  extended  in  1897  by  the  addition 
of  the  territory  formerly  known  as  Ruffner,  which  lay  southeast  of 
Charleston.  This  new  district  also  required  a  new  school. 

The  growth  of  the  Charleston  High  School  in  the  last  twenty-five 
years  has  been  substantial.  In  1882  Mrs.  Mary  R.  McGwigan  was  chosen 


WEST  VIRGINIA 


179 


principal,  with  Mrs.  Coleman  as  assistant.  For  twenty-four  years  Mrs. 
McGwigan  filled  this  position  with  credit  to  herself  and  with  advantage 
to  the  school.  Her  devoted  service  to  the  young  people  of  Charleston  has 
borne  good  fruit,  for  she  has  exerted  a  strong  influence  for  good  over  the 
young  men  and  women  of  the  city.  From  its  rudimentary  beginnings  the 
High  School  has  grown  until  it  now  has  an  enrollment  of  209  students, 
under  the  care  of  ten  teachers.  The  four  years'  course  of  study  measures 
up  to  the  standard  of  High  Schools  throughout  the  country.  The  gradu- 
ating class  of  this  year  has  twenty-five  members. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  school  year  1903-1904  the  High  School 
moved  into  the  building  just  completed,  and  reserved  for  its  exclusive 
use.  It  is  a  handsome  three-story  brick  building  on  Quarrier  street. 
It  is  fitted  up  with  all  the  appliances  that  contribute  to  the  success  of  the 
modern  High  School.  The  Alumni  Association  of  the  Charleston  High 
School  was  organized  in  1899.  Yearly  meetings  since  that  time  have 
brought  the  graduates  in  touch  with  each  other  and  with  the  school,  and 
have  thus  added  materially  to  the  advantages  offered  by  the  school. 

At  the  present  time  the  Charleston  Schools  occupy  nine  buildings,  and 
have  an  enrollment  of  3,227  pupils.  There  are  84  teachers,  beside  the 
superintendent.  Two  new  schools  of  eight  and  twelve  rooms,  respectively, 
are  now  in  process  of  erection.  The  schools  are  directed  by  a  Board  of 
Education  consisting  of  nine  members.  Much  of  the  present  prosperity 
of  the  schools  is  to  be  attributed  to  the  broad  minded  attitude  of  this 
board,  whose  acts  are  determined  solely  by  the  needs  and  best  interests 
of  the  school. 


MEMBERS  OF  THE  BOARD  OF  EDUCATION  OF  CHARLESTON  INDEPENDENT 

DISTRICT,  1907. 


J.  E.  Chamberlain,  President. 
A.  T.  Cabell. 
L.  Caperton. 
R.  B.  Cassady. 
D.  T.  Farley. 


Val.  Fruth. 

M.  Gilchrist. 

A.  G.  Higginbotham. 

L.  L.  Price. 

W.  O.  Daum,  Secretary. 


SCHOOL  BUILDINGS  OCCUPIED. 

DATE  OF 
NAME.  ERECTION. 

High   School   1903 

Lincoln   1898 

Mercer    1889 

Union    1892 

Garnett  1890 

Washington   1902 

Ruff  ner 

Elk I     Temporary  buildings  to  be  replaced  by  those 

Bigley 1  now  in  construction. 


NO.  OF 

COST   OF 

ROOMS. 

BUILDING. 

MATERIAL. 

15 

$40,000 

Brick 

and  Stone 

10 

25,000 

Brick 

16 

35,000 

Brick 

21 

50,000 

Brick 

8 

10,000 

Brick 

4 

4,500 

Brick 

180  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

The  Charles  Town  Schools. 

BY    MISS   ORRA   TOMLINSOX. 

In  some  portions  of  the  Mother  State  the  interest  in  education  was 
greater  than  in  others. 

Jefferson  County,  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  him  whose  name  it  proudly 
bears,  and  with  which  the  highest  educational  institution  of  the  old  State 
is  inseparably  connected,  as  early  as  1829,  made  efforts  to  provide  a 
school  for  the  tuition  of  her  poor  children,  appropriating  "a  sum  not 
exceeding  one  hundred  dollars  to  the  employment  of  a  teacher  for  said 
school,  on  condition  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  district  shall  subscribe  an 
equal  or  greater  amount,  and  shall  agree  to  constitute  the  school  so  es- 
tablished into  a  free  school  for  the  education  of  all  the  children  in  the 
school." 

When,  in  1846,  a  free  school  statute  was  enacted,  Jefferson  was  the 
first  county  in  the  State  to  establish  the  system  and  to  build  school 
houses. 

In  Charles  Town,  the  first  public  school  house,  built  substantially  of 
native  limestone,  upon  which  was  afterward  reared .  a  second  story  of 
brick,  still  stands  upon  North  street.  Children  of  both  sexes  attended  this 
school;  the  teachers  were  all  men,  and  for  years  were  not  natives  of  the 
town  or  county,  but  came  from  other  counties  of  Virginia  or  from  other 
States. 

The  schools  were  not  popular;  the  name  "Free  School"  created  a 
prejudice  in  ^the  minds  of  the  people;  the  rich  and  the  cultivated  class 
of  the  community  preferred  paying  the  high  tuition  rates  of  private  insti- 
tutions of  learning  to  patronizing  those  schools.  Consequently,  there  was, 
for  boys,  a  flourishing  Academy  first  organized  in  1795  and  incorporated  in 
1797,  taught  by  men  of  attainments  and  recognized  ability.  There  was  also 
a  seminary  for  girls  and  young  ladies,  while  for  many  years  two  such 
institutions  were  well  supported  by  the  town  and  vicinity. 

After  some  years  the  town  was  divided  into  two  school  districts  and 
.a  second  school  house  built,  which  was  afterwards  set  apart  for  girls 
exclusively,  the  first  one  then  becoming  a  boys'  school. 

In  1889  the  first  attempt  to  establish  a  graded  school  was  made,  the 
two  buildings  were  divided  into  two  rooms  each,  and  four  teachers  were 
appointed. 

In  1893  the  Board  of  Education  purchased  a  building  containing 
twelve  rooms  on  the  north  side  of  the  town  at  a  cost  of  $9000;  it  was 
fitted  up  for  the  graded  school,  and  six  teachers  were  employed,  together 
with  Mr.  Wright  Denny  as  principal. 

Under  his  zealous  and  efficient  management  the  school  has  steadily 
grown  and  prospered.  It  is  now  the  Charles  Town  Graded  and  High 
School;  consists  of  ten  grades,  embraces  a  High  School  course,  and  enjoys 
the  reputation  of  a  thorough  and  high-toned  school.  "Its  work  is  ac- 
credited by  various  institutions  of  learning,  among  which  are  the  West 
Virginia  University;  V.  P.  I.,  Blacksburg,  Virginia;  Washington  and 
Lee  University,  and  the  work  has  been  accepted  on  certificate  without 


WEST  VIBGINIA  181 

further  examination  at  the  Female  Normal  School,  Farmville,  Virginia; 
Peabody  Normal,  Nashville,  Tennessee;  St.  John's  College,  Maryland,  and 
other  institutions. 

The  record  of  the  students  at  colleges  and  universities  is  a  matter 
of  pride." 

A  library  of  well  chosen  books  was  established  some  years  ago,  and 
new  books  have  been  added  each  year,  until  now  the  number  of  volumes 
is  largely  over  five  hundred.  Some  of  the  best  magazines  and  periodicals 
are  kept  on  the  reading  room  table. 

The  names  of  the  Board  of  Education  for  the  year  1906  -  7  are  J.  D. 
McGarry,  president;  B.  B.  Beavers  and  S.  Lee  Phillips,  commissioners; 
Charles  A.  Johnson,  secretary. 


History  of  Edgewood  Graded  School. 

BY    H.    L.    PEDICOBD,    PRINCIPAL. 

About  three  miles  northeast  of  Wheling  lies  the  town  of  Edgwood, 
situated  in  one  of  the  richest  and  prettiest  valleys  of  our  "Mountain 
State." 

Here,  some  fourteen  years  ago  (1893),  a  little  band  of  men  came  to- 
gether to  consult  each  other  as  to  how  to  obtain  a  school  for  their  children. 
The  result  was  that  a  mass  meeting  was  called  in  Hands'  Hall,  Elm. 
Grove,  to  persuade  the  Board  of  Education  that  a  school  was  needed. 
The  citizens  were  put  off  at  that  time  because  the  board  was  heavily  in 
debt,  due  to  the  destruction  of  school  property  by  a  flood.  A  second  mass 
meeting  was  called  at  Seibert's  Garden  at  which  the  board  was  asked  to 
be  present.  After  much  discussion  the  citizens  determined  that,  if  nec- 
essary, they  would  go  on  the  bond  of  the  board  to  enable  them  to  put  up 
a  school  building. 

The  agreement  was  made,  but  its  fulfillment  never  became  necessary, 
as  the  next  board  found  no  difficulty  in  providing  funds  for  the  erection 
of  a  two-room  frame  building.  It  was  located  on  two  lots  purchased  on 
the  so-called  Edgington  Lane.  Comparatively  few  families  lived  there 
then,  but  most  of  them  were  land  owners.  School  was  in  session  the 
next  year,  1894,  for  five  months,  being  taught  by  J.  H.  Lazear  and  Miss 
Hallie  Baird. 

In  1895  Miss  Lena  Meminger  taught  for  a  term  of  eight  months.  Miss 
Meminger  was  succeeded  by  J.  D.  Muldoon,  who  was  principal  one  year. 
He  was  succeeded  by  A.  W.  Curtis.  In  February,  1899,  the  frame  building 
caught  fire  and  was  destroyed.  School  was  taught  in  a  private  house 
the  rest  of  the  year. 

The  board  then  ordered  a  four-room  building  erected  upon  the  site 
of  the  old  one,  though  at  this  time  they  were  criticised  for  extravagance. 
The  school  was  once  more  in  operation  in  September,  1900,  and  three  of 
the  four  rooms  in  use.  Another  room  was  added  in  1902. 

Mr.  A.  W.  Curtis,  who  had  been  principal  for  five  years,  was  sue- 


182  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

ceeded  in  1902  by  George  S.  Biggs,  the  County  Superintendent  of  Schools; 
the  former  was  transferred  to  a  more  responsible  position  at  Elm  Grove 
under  the  same  board.  Mr.  Biggs  retired  at  the  end  of  that  year  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  State  law  forbidding  County  Superintendents  to  teach. 
He  was  succeeded  by  the  present  incumbent,  who  has  held  the  position 
for  four  years. 

Edgington  Lane  was  incorporated  June  14,  1905,  as  the  town  of 
Edgwood.  Bonds  were  issued  to  the  amount  of  $17,000  for  the  provision 
of  lights,  streets,  walks  and  roads.  It  is  essentially  the  same  today  as 
years  ago  — a  town  of  residences  for  business  men  and  laborers  of 
Wheeling  who  take  the  advantage  of  the  excellent  trolley  system  passing 
through.  The  town  possesses  many  of  the  advantages  of  city  life,  with 
but  few  of  its  dangers;  there  are  no  saloons  and  no  factories;  pure  air 
and  pure  water  are  abundant.  The  children  of  such  a  town  naturally  are 
free  from  the  many  hindrances  of  life  in  industrial  communities. 

In  1905  bonds  were  issued  to  provide  for  an  addition  of  four  rooms  to 
the  school  building;  these  were  ready  for  occupancy  in  September,  1906. 
This  building  is  unsurpassed  by  any  of  its  class  in  the  State.  It  is 
finished  in  hard  wood  and  alabastine;  it  has  all  modern  conveniences, 
such  as  large  rooms,  the  best  of  light,  metal  ceilings,  hot  air  furnaces, 
electric  bells,  an  assembly  hall  with  seating  capacity  of  nearly  300,  and 
a  library  of  about  200  volumes;  it  is  a  well  equipped  school  in  every 
respect. 

There  are  now  six  teachers  well  equipped  to  instruct  the  200  or  more 
school  youth  in  attendance.  We  have  had  free  text  books  since  1903.  The 
graded  course  of  study  has  always  had  its  place.  We  are  now  following 
an  outline  made  by  the  principals  of  Triadelphia  District  in  accordance 
with  the  latest  State  Manual.  Our  attendance  averages  about  95  per  cent. 
We  have  for  the  present  year  eight  months  of  school,  but  will  have  a 
nine-months'  term  next  year. 

There  have  been  nineteen  graduates  from  the  Edgwood  School  —  three 
in  1902,  seven  in  1903,  five  in  1904,  four  in  1906.  The  class  of  the  present 
year  consists  of  five  boys  and  four  girls. 

A  high  school  course  of  one  year  was  arranged  in  1906,  and  two 
pupils  are  now  doing  that  work.  It  is  but  a  beginning  in  this  line,  and 
additional  high  school  work  will  be  added  in  time.  Our  graduates  enter 
Wheeling  High  School  or  West  Liberty  State  Normal  with  advanced 
standing. 

Our  pupils  are  not  purely  local,  but  many  not  properly  in  the  sub- 
district  are  granted  permission  to  attend,  where  they  have  superior 
advantages;  these  come  from  Mount  Leon,  Pleasant  Valley,  Leatherwood 
and  Mount  de  Chantal. 

The  many  advantages  we  enjoy  are  provided  by  a  board  that  is  wide 
awake  to  the  needs  of  the  community  and  quick  to  act  when  the  needs 
assert  themselves.  As  Whittier  says  in  his  Centennial  Hymn,  "Let  the 
new  year  shame  the  old." 


WEST  VIRGINIA  183 

The  Elkins  Public  Schools. 


The  town  of  Elkins  began  its  corporate  existence  in  1889.  It 
then  a  small  village,  giving  little  promise  of  the  thriving  town  it  has  now 
become.  Its  present  population  is  estimated  to  be  about  5,000,  and  is 
steadily  increasing. 

From  its  youthfulness  the  brevity  of  its  educational  history  may  be 
inferred.  The  expansion  of  the  public  school  has  kept  pace  with  the 
increase  of  population  and  it  will  not  be  claiming  too  much  to  say  that  in 
thoroughness  of  organization  and  instruction,  in  practical  efficiency,  it 
is  second  to  few  or  none  of  the  schools  of  the  State. 

The  "Independent  School  District  of  Elkins"  was  established  by  act 
of  the  Legislature  in  1893.  The  movement  to  secure  an  independent 
district  met  with  strong  opposition,  but  through  the  efforts  of  progressive 
citizens,  the  movement  finally  succeeded.  Its  success  was  fortunate  for 
the  educational  interests  of  both  the  town  and  the  county;  for  had  the 
independent  district  not  been  established,  the  wages  paid  the  teachers 
of  the  town  school  would  have  been  little  or  no  higher  than  those  paid  in 
the  country  schools,  and  the  town  school  would  never  have  attained  its 
present  efficiency  and  could  not  have  exerted  the  influence  it  is  now 
wielding  upon  the  school  work  of  Randolph  County  by  its  exemplification 
of  the  use  and  superiority  of  advanced  educational  methods. 

This  is  a  proper  place  to  observe  that  at  this  time  the  free  school 
system  had  some  enemies  in  Elkins,  and  though  there  is,  at  present,  no 
avowed  opposition,  still  the  old  aristocratic  idea  that  the  free  school  is 
a  charitable  institution  and  that  children  who  attend  the  schools  open  to 
the  common  people  will  lose  caste  and  distinction  socially,  is  entertained 
by  a  few  people.  In  consequence  several  attempts  have  been  made  to 
establish  private  schools.  These  attempts  have  not  been  successful,  and 
some  of  the  youth,  especially  young  ladies,  who  could  very  profitably 
attend  the  public  schools  for  several  years  more,  are  attending  private 
schools  away  from  home. 

When  the  independent  district  was  created,  Elkins  had  no  school 
building.  In  1890  two  rooms  in  the  Harvey  building  were  used.  The 
next  year  the  School  Board  was  obliged  to  rent  three  rooms  in  different 
parts  of  the  town  to  accommodate  the  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  children 
enrolled  that  year.  The  same  unfavorable  conditions  existed  in  1892  and 
1893,  though  there  was,  in  the  latter  year,  an  enrollment  of  225.  Soon 
after  the  establishment,  of  the  independent  district,  however,  the  erection 
of  a  building  of  eight  rooms  was  begun.  The  cornerstone  of  this  structure 
was  laid  with  appropriate  Masonic  ceremony  on  July  4,  1894;  and  on  De- 
cember 17  of  that  year  was  opened  this  first  temple  of  learning  in  the 
town  of  Elkins.  The  cost  of  this  building  was  approximately  $30.000. 

At  that  time  the  eight  rooms  were  not  all  needed,  but  in  less  than 
seven  years  after  its  completion  this  building  was  inadequate.  In  1901 
and  1902,  the  board  was  obliged  to  rent  one  or  more  rooms.  This  year, 
1903  -  4,  suitable  rooms  could  not  be  rented  and  the  board  was  compelled 
to  enlarge  the  building  by  the  addition  of  four  rooms,  making  twelve  in 


184  HISTORY-  OF  EDUCATION 

all.  Owing  to  the  heavy  expense  of  building,  and  the  low  rates  at  which 
property  is  assessed,  the  school  has  not  been  well-  supplied  with  the 
necessary  apparatus  and  appliances  for  teaching. 

The  school  has  had  four  principals.  The  first  was  Mr.  N.  G.  Keim,  wha 
served  in  that  capacity  from  1893  to  1896.  It  was  fortunate  that,  at  this 
stage  of  its  existence,  the  school  was  entrusted  to  a  man  of  Mr.  Kejm's 
experience  and  ability.  In  1896  he  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  C.  W.  Flesher, 
who  held  the  position  three  years.  He  was  succeeded  in  1899  by  J.  S. 
Cornwell,  who  served  until  1906,  when  C.  E.  Jenks  was  appointed  to  fill 
the  position.  Under  the  management  of  these  four  men,  the  school  has 
been  thoroughly  organized  according  to  modern  ideas  of  grading  and 
management. 

In  1893  there  were  225  pupils,  and  three  teachers,  besides  the  princi- 
pal; in  1907  there  are  850  pupils.  This  does  not  include  a  colored  school 
of  about  35  pupils.  There  are  in  all  23  teachers  employed. 

The  course  of  study  includes,  besides  the  eight  years  of  elementary 
and  grammar  school  work,  a  four  years'  high  school  course  in  which 
four  years  in  Latin,  two  years  in  German,  three  years  in  mathematics, 
four  years  in  English,  one  year  in  physics,  one  year  in  physical  geography, 
and  two  years  in  history  are  required,  with  botany  and  chemistry  as 
optional  studies. 

A  new  eight-room  building  is  being  constructed  in  South  Elkins,  and 
if  the  present  rate  of  growth  continues,  at  least  two  more  buildings  will, 
need  to  be  added  within  the  next  three  years. 


Elk  Garden  Graded  School. 

BY    D.    C.    ARNOLD,    PRINCIPAL. 

Elk  Garden  is  a  mining  town  located  in  the  western  part  of  Mineral 
County,  on  the  Allegheny  Mountains  2,300  feet  above  sea  level.  Twenty- 
five  years  ago  the  primeval  forest  was  hewn  down  and  there  sprung  up 
in  its  stead  a  mining  town  of  about  2,000  population.  There  was  at  that 
time  about  400  acres  of  the  magnificent  fourteen-foot  vein  coal  at  this 
place.  This  vein  is  nearly  exhausted  and  the  smaller  veins  are  coming 
into  market. 

As  has  been  stated,  the  forest  gave  way  to  the  town,  but  at  first  the 
trees  and  the  houses  disputed  each  other's  claims. 

The  school  house  was  built  in  the  woods.  Chestnut  trees  in  the  fall 
dropped  their  nuts  —  large,  brown  and  tempting  nuts  —  in  the  paths  that 
radiated  from  the  school  house,  thus  affording  the  children  one  of  the 
pleasures  of  childhood  —  gathering  nuts  from  under  the  "spreading  chest- 
nut tree"  as  they  passed  to  and  from  school. 

Four  teachers  composed  the  teaching  force  at  first,  which  was  after- 
ward increased  to  six.  Messrs.  Richard  Boseley,  Kenneth  E.  Burke,  Charles 
E.  Taylor  and  D.  C.  Arnold  have  been  the  principals,  the  latter  having 
held  the  position  for  the  last  twenty  years. 


NEW  BUILDING  AT  LITTLETON. 


THIRD  WARD.  WELLSBURG. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  185 

There  have  been  eight  graduating  classes  under  the  State  graduating 
system,  in  all  fifty-five  graduates  —  nineteen  boys  and  thirty-six  girls. 
The  first  class  was  graduated  in  1895.  There  were  three  members  in  this 
class  —  Messrs.  James  Norman  and  James  Kenny  and  Miss  Winifred  B. 
Fenton.  The  two  gentlemen  are  successful  merchants  and  Miss  Fenton, 
a  graduate  of  the  Fairmont  Normal  School,  after  teaching  a  number  of 
years,  is  in  charge  of  a  business  office  at  Elkins. 

Mr.  Stephen  Dixon,  at  the  time  president  of  the  County  Court,  was  the- 
first  president  of  the  Board  of  Education  to  sign  a  diploma. 

Professor  J.  Walter  Ross,  of  the  class  of  1897,  afterward  graduated 
from  the  Elliott  Commercial  School  at  Charleston,  in  Shorthand,  and  is 
now  one  of  the  leading  teachers  in  the  State,  occupying  a  position  in  the 
Elliott  Commercial  School,  in  Wheeling. 

Mr.  R.  Marsh  Dean,  of  the  class  of  1899,  is  clerk  and  paymaster  for 
the  Davis  Coal  and  Coke  Company,  at  Cumberland,  Md. 

Mr.  Wallace  Bischoff  graduated^rom  the  University  of  Ohio  in  mining 
engineering  and  now  holds  a  lucrative  position  as  superintendent  of 
mines  in  Fayette  County,  this  State.  He  finished  the  common  school 
course  here  before  the  graduating  system  went  into  effect.  Two  young; 
men  of  the  earlier  days  have  become  prominent  ministers  —  Revs.  Charles 
Biggs  and  Harry  Marsh;  and  Miss  Belle  Mclntire,  who  graduated  at  the 
head  of  her  class  at  a  female  seminary  in  Pennsylvania,  is  the  wife  of  Rev. 
Hough  Houston,  New  York  City. 

Nineteen  of  the  fifty-five  graduates  became  teachers,  engaging  in  this 
high  and  honorable  calling  one  or  more  years.  Twelve  of  the  whole  num- 
ber are  teaching  at  the  present  time.  Others  are  bookkeepers,  clerks,  stu- 
dents at  higher  institutions,  and  eight  of  the  ladies  are  housekeepers. 

All  the  rooms  (six  in  number)  of  the  school  building  are  supplied 
with  maps,  and  three  rooms  are  supplied  with  globes  and  large  diction- 
aries. The  principal's  room  is  supplied  with  two  large  maps,  one  a  State 
and  the  other  a  United  States  map;  three  globes,  physiological  chart, 
mathematical  blocks,  dry  measures,  liquid  measures,  and  numerous  smaller 
articles.  The  room  contains  one  large  case  for  apparatus,  an  organ,  and 
two  library  cases  •  containing  over  600  volumes.  The  library  books,  the 
organ  and  a  part  of  the  apparatus  were  purchased  by  the  school  children 
and  teachers  with  money  procured  by  entertainments  and  suppers. 

The  Board  of  Education  of  Elk  District  have  always  been  liberal  ii* 
purchasing  apparatus  for  the  schools  throughout  the  district,  and  in  the 
last  ten  years  have  spent  $120  for  apparatus  in  the  Elk  Garden  School. 


The  Elm  Grove  Public  School. 

BY    A.    W.    CURTIS,    PBINCIPAL. 

At  the  forks  of  Wheeling  Creek,  about  five  miles  east  of  Wheeling^ 
on  the  old  Cumberland  road,  stands  the  historic  town  of  Elm  Grove. 


186  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

Moses  Shepherd  was  the  first  white  man  to  build  a  home  here,  and 
become  a  permanent  settler,  having  received  the  first  land  grant  in  this 
section,  in  the  year  1802,  August  26th. 

The  first  school  house  within  the  present  corporate  limits  of  the 
town  was  a  one-room  building  erected  in  the  year  1859.  The  site  was  on 
the  banks  of  Little  Wheeling  Creek,  a  part  of  the  Moses  Shepherd  estate, 
.and  was  secured  from  Mrs.  Kruger  to  be  used  for  school  purposes  during 
her  life.  At  her  death  it  was  purchased  by  Andrew  Vance,  president  of 
the  Board  of  Education,  from  the  commissioners  appointed  by  the  Circuit 
Court  to  settle  the  estate  of  Moses  Shepherd. 

In  this  building  the  youth  of  Elm  Grove  were  instructed  until  the 
accommodations  were  inadequate.  The  building  was  then  moved,  in  1871, 
about  two  hundred  yards  farther  up  the  road,  and  a  new  two-room 
structure  erected  on  the  old  site. 

The  old  building  has  since  been  purchased  by  the  Board  of  Education 
and  is  now  the  colored  school  of  Elm  Grove.  The  colored  school  is  not 
under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Elm  Grove  Graded  School  and  is  in  no 
way  connected  with  it.  For  a  number  of  years  colored  teachers  have 
had  charge  of  this  institution. 

To  keep  pace  with  the  growth  of  the  town,  a  two-room  wing  was 
•built  in  1881  to  the  original  two-room  structure.  Again,  another  two- 
room  wing  was  built  in  1899,  making  a  six-room  building.  But  in  1905 
one  of  the  large  rooms  was  partitioned  to  increase  the  capacity,  and  within 
the  last  year  one  of  the  town  halls  has  been  pressed  into  service, 

In  the  summer  of  1905  a  bond  issue  was  authorized,  by  which  means 
money  was  procured  to  erect  a  new  building.  The  old  site  and  building 
were  sold  at  auction  to  M.  N.  Cecil.  A  new  site  on  the  banks  of  Big 
Wheeling  Creek  was  purchased.  This  site  was  also  originally  a  part  of 
the  Moses  Shepherd  estate.  It  is  interesting  to  know  that  this  ground 
was  once  an  Indian  burial  ground.  In  the  spring  of  1906  work  was  begun 
-on  the  new  building,  and  on  February  1,  1907,  the  pupils  and  teachers 
said  good  by  to  the  old  school  house  and  took  up  their  work  in  the  new. 
This  building  is  an  up-to-date  structure,  a  two-story  brick,  with  base- 
ment. It  is  a  credit  to  the  town  and  a  credit  to  the  men  who  planned 
and  sanctioned  it.  It  contains  twelve  recitation  rooms,  a  room  for  the 
Board  of  Education,  a  principal's  oflBce  and  library,  and  two  manual 
training  rooms.  It  is  plumbed  for  both  gas  and  water  and  wired  for 
electric  lights.  The  hot  air  system  of  heating  is  used  and  ventilation  is 
aided  by  an  electric  fan.  In  fact  it  has  all  the,  conveniences  to  make  a 
school  room  comfortable  and  attractive  and  school  work  easy. 

The  present  Board  of  Education  —  W.  M.  Hervey,  president;  J.  F. 
Shirk  and  G.  W.  Guy,  commissioners,  and  W.  L.  Duncan,  secretary  — 
have  done  many  things  to  lighten  the  burdens  of  the  teachers  and  make 
their  work  easy  and  successful.  Maps,  relief  maps,  charts,  mathematical 
blocks  and  globes  have  been  furnished,  free  text  books  have  been  provided 
and  supplementary  readers  and  text  books  have  been  purchased  when 
needed. 

The  first  principal  of  the  Elm   Grove  School  was  G.  A.  Kyle,  who 


WEST  VIRGINIA  187 

served  in  1875  and  1876.  His  assistant  was  Miss  Lee  Hervey.  The  fol- 
lowing are  the  principals  that  followed  him: 

J.  B.  Frazier  and  Brown  Atkinson,  in  1877. 

Mrs.  A.  B.  Eckhart,  1878-1881. 

Miss  Lizzie  Brownlee,  1882. 

Frazier  Gardner,  1883-1888. 

H.  G.  Lazear,  1889-1891. 

J.  H.  Lazear,  1892. 

J.  C.  Maxwell,  1893-89  and  1900-1901. 

J.  D.  Muldoon,  1899. 

A.  W.  Curtis,  1902  to  the  present  time. 

Since  the  present  system  of  graduation  was  adopted  for  the  public 
schools,  Elm  Grove  has  had  nine  graduating  classes,  as  follows: 

1895  —  The  first  class,  one  boy  and  four  girls. 

1897  —  One  boy. 

1898  —  Three  boys  and  six  girls. 

1899  —  Three  boys  and  two  girls. 

1900  —  Two  boys  and  three  girls. 

1901  — Two  girls. 

1902  — Four  boys  and  five  girls. 
1904  — •  Two  boys  and  seven  girls. 
1906  —  Three  boys  and  eight  girls. 

In  all  there  have  been  fifty-six  graduates. 

There  are  now  nine  pupils  in  the  ninth  year,  candidates  for  diplomas 
In  1907. 

The  Elm  Grove  School  is  the  largest  school  in  the  country  districts 
of  Ohio  County.  Its  enrollment  last  year  was  32'8.  The  faculty  now  con- 
sists of  eight  teachers. 

The  chief  pride  of  the  Elm  Grove  School  is  in  its  library.  This  library, 
consisting  of  choice  biography,  history,  travel,  fiction,  works  of  reference, 
etc.,  is  the  largest  and  best  working  library  to  be  found  in  the  public 
schools  of  the  county.  In  fact  much  of  the  extra  work  of  the  present 
principal  has  been  toward  building  up  this  library. 

We  are  following  the  nine-year  course  of  study  as  outlined  by  State 
Superintendent  Thomas  C.  Miller  in  his  graded  manual.  In  addition  to 
this  we  have  also  the  principal's  schedule,  which  outlines  the  books 
adopted  by  the  County  Book  Board,  according  to  the  graded  manual. 
High  School  work  is  also  being  done  in  the  following  branches:  Liter- 
ature, Rhetoric,  Physical  Geography,  Latin,  Algebra,  also  advanced  work 
in  Arithmetic,  Grammar  and  General  History. 

A  daily  schedule  is  followed  which  limits  the  number  of  recitations 
in  all  the  rooms,  except  the  primary  room,  to  thirteen.  This  gives  each 
teacher  a  twenty-five  minute  period  in  which  to  hear  each  recitation. 
The  principal's  schedule  is  limited  to  ten  daily  recitations. 

The  present  corps  of  teachers  is  doing  good  work,  and  the  Elm  Grove 
Graded  School  is  contributing  her  mite  to  help  along  the  great  cause  of 
education. 


188  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

Fairmont  Public  Schools. 

BY   SUPERINTENDENT  JOSEPH  ROSIER. 

The  first  public  free  school  in  the  town  of  Fairmont  was  opened  in? 
the  fall  of  1864.  The  teachers  for  the  first  term  were  Misses  Nannie 
Booth,  Maggie  E.  Turney,  (now  Mrs.  Eli  Musgrove),  and  Mary  J. 
Steele.  The  schools  were  ungraded  and  the  term  was  only  three  months 
in  length.  There  was  no  building,  and  rooms  in  different  parts  of  the 
town  were  used.  In  1865  the  schools  were  graded,  and  placed  under  the 
supervision  of  Col.  J.  C.  Lininger,  who  occupied  the  position  but  a  short 
time.  Upon  the  resignation  of  Col.  L/ininger,  Dr.  D.  B.  Dorsey  was 
chosen  principal,  and  had  charge  of  the  school  until  the  close  of  the 
term,  which  this  year  was  six  months,  the  schools,  four  in  number,  be- 
ing held  in  different  buildings. 

In  the  summer  of  1866  the  Board  of  Education  purchased  the  brick 
building  at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Madison  streets,  and  fitted  it  up  for 
school  purposes.  Prof.  A.  S.  Cameron,  of  Connellsville,  Pa.,  was  chosen 
principal,  and  had  charge  of  the  schools  for  two  years.  Prof.  Cameron 
had  four  assistants,  the  enrollment  being  nearly  two  hundred. 

When  the  Legislature  located  one  of  the  •  State  Normal  schools  at 
Fairmont  in  i»67,  provisions  were  made  whereby  the  pupils  of  the  dis- 
trict could  be  formed  into  model  training  schools  for  the  benefit  of  the 
Normal  students,  and  the  principal  of  the  Normal  School  was,  by  vir- 
tue of  his  position,  superintendent  of  the  public  schools.  This  plan  con- 
tinued nominally  until  1875,  when  the  public  schools  were  entirely  sep- 
arated from  the  Normal  department. 

Prof.  W.  R.  White  was  the  first  principal  of  the  Normal  School  and 
was  consequently  superintendent  of  the  public  schools  for  one  year  and 
part  of  another.  He  was  succeeded  by  Prof.  J.  C.  Gilchrist,  who  held 
the  place  for  one  year.  Dr.  J.  G.  Blair  was  then  selected  for  the  po- 
sition, and  had  control  of  the  schools  until  the  close  of  the  term  in 
1875,  when  Prof.  J.  W.  May  was  chosen  principal  of  the  public  schools- 
alone  for  the  term  of  1875-76. 

In  the  fall  of  1876  Prof.  Thos  C.  Miller  was  chosen  principal  of  the 
schools,  and  he  continued  in  the  position  until  1893.  Prof.  Miller  was 
connected  with  the  schools  as  teacher  and  principal  for  twenty-two  years, 
and  under  his  supervision  the  foundations  of  the  present  system  were 
laid.  In  1872  the  large  front  building  at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Quincy 
streets  was  erected,  and  this  was  occupied  jointly  by  the  Normal  and 
public  schools  until  March,  1893,  when  the  Normal  School  was  moved 
to  the  new  building  on  the  South  Side,  erected  for  its  use  by  the  State. 
Under  the  provisions  of  an  act  of  the  legislature  passed  in  1891,  the 
Board  of  Regents  of  the  Normal  School  was  authorized  to  sell  the  State's 
interest  in  the  old  building  to  the  Fairmont  Independent  district  for  the- 
sum  of  $15,000,  which  transaction  was  completed  on  March  2nd,  1892, 
the  district  having  issued  bonds  for  the  sum  necessary  to  make  the  pur- 
chase. 

In  the  fall  of  1893  Dr.  W.  R.  White  was  again  chosen  as  principal 


WEST  VIRGINIA  189 

•of  the  schools,  but  in  the  second  month  of  the  term  he  was  removed  by 
•death,  and  Prof.  J.  S.  Stewart  was  elected  to  fill  the  position  for  the 
remainder  of  the  year.  At  the  opening  of  the  schools  in  the  school  year 
1894-95,  Prof.  J.  C.  Gwynn  was  elected  as  superintendent  of  all  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  Fairmont  Independent  district,  which  position  he  filled  un- 
til the  close  of  the  school  year  1896-97.  In  July,  1897,  Prof.  C.  W.  Evans 
was  elected  superintendent  to  succeed  Mr.  Gwynn  who  resigned  to  accept 
the  principalship  of  Madison  school  in  Wheeling.  In  the  summer  of 
1900,  Joseph  Rosier,  the  present  superintendent,  was  elected  to  the  po- 
sition. 

Fairmont  is  as  well  equipped  with  school  buildings  as  any  city  of 
its  size  in  the  country.  In  the  fall  of  1906  the  new  high  school  was  com- 
pleted at  a  cost  of  $80,000  for  the  building  and  the  site.  This  building  is 
very  complete  in  its  arrangements,  having  a  principal's  office,  a  superin- 
tendent's office,  a  library  room,  a  reading  room,  twelve  class  rooms  phys- 
ical and  chemical  laboratories  a  commodious  gymnasium  with  locker 
rooms  for  boys  and  girls  and  a  fine  auditorium  with  main  floor  and  bal- 
cony, having  a  seating  capacity  of  800.  There  are  also  five  large  well 
lighted  basement  rooms  with  ten-foot  ceilings,  and  cement  floors,  with 
ample  storage  room,  which  will  be  available  in  the  future,  for  manual 
training  work.  This  building  stands  on  a  commanding  site  with  ample 
grounds  surrounding  it,  and  the  architecture  is  of  the  English  classic 
style. 

A  model  ward  building  was  also  erected  in  the  Fifth  Ward  in  1905, 
at  a  cost  of  $60,000  for  the  site,  the  building,  and  the  improvement  of 
the  grounds.  This  building  contains  nine  school  rooms,  a  principal's  of- 
fice, a  teachers'  private  room,  and  a  commodious  auditorium,  having 
a  seating  capacity  of  600  people.  The  building  is  also  equipped  with  a 
complete  mechanical  heating  and  ventilating  system.  In  addition  to  these 
buildings  the  equipment  of  the  district  consists  of  a  modern  eight  room 
building  in  the  Fourth  ward;  the  old  Central  Grammar  school  building 
containing  16  rooms;  the  Fleming  school  building  of  three  rooms;  the 
Barnesville  building  of  two  rooms;  the  Jackson  addition  building  of  two 
rooms;  and  the  colored  school  building  of  four  rooms.  Plans  are  also 
under  consideration  by  the  Board  of  Education  for  the  erection  of  other 
school  buildings  soon  in  parts  of  the  district  where  the  population  is 
rapidly  increasing. 

Fairmont  Independent  district  now  has  approximately  a  quarter  of 
a  million  dollars  invested  in  public  school  buildings  and  equipment.  The 
taxable  property  of  the  district  amounts  to  twelve  million  dollars,  and  the 
district  carries  a  bonded  indebtedness  of  one  hundred  fifty  thousand  dol- 
lars, which  was  voted  two  years  ago,  for  the  refunding  of  the  then  existing 
bonded  indebtedness,  and  for  the  erection  of  new  school  buildings. 

Since  the  graduating  system  was  established  in  1880  in  the  High 
School,  two  hundred  and  ten  young  men  and  women  have  completed  the 
course,  and  are  now  filling  useful  and  responsible  positions  in  life,  or 
are  pursuing  higher  courses  of  study  in  colleges  and  universities.  The 
principals  to  whom  credit  is  due  for  the  success  and  efficiency  of  the  High 
.School,  are  Miss  Sarah  Meredith,  Prof.  E.  E.  Mercer,  and  Prof.  T.  J. 


190  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

Humphrey,  the  present  principal,  who  has  given  his  best  thought  and 
energy  to  the  management  and  organization  of  the  school  for  the  past 
six  years,  the  period  of  greatest  growth  and  improvement. 

Three  courses  of  study  are  offered  in  the  High  School,  the  English, 
the  Literary,  and  the  Classical.  The  English  course  is  offered  to  those 
who  do  not  care  to  take  up  the  study  of  a  foreign  language;  the  Literary 
course  is  offered  to  those  who  desire  to  take  one  or  both  of  the  modern 
languages,  French  and  German;  and  the  Classical  course  is  offered  to- 
those  who  wish  to  take  Latin,  and  the  regular  college  preparatory  work. 
The  requirements  for  graduation  in  each  of  the  courses  offered  in  the 
High  School  shall  be  the  satisfactory  completion  of  152  hours'  work,  an 
hour  in  this  connection  meaning  one  recitation  per  week  throughout  the 
semester  or  half-year.  In  order  to  complete  152  hours'  work  in  four  years 
the  student  must  carry  19  recitations  per  week. 

No  student  will  be  permitted  to  graduate  without  having  completed 
the  four  years'  work  prescribed  in  English.  The  High  School  is  on  the 
accredited  list  of  the  West  Virginia  University,  and  its  work  is  accepted 
for  admission  to  many  other  institutions  of  higher  learning.  The  aim 
is  to  make  the  High  School  in  the  highest  degree  serviceable,  both  to 
those  who  may  desire  to  go  to  college,  and  to  those  whose  school  train- 
ing will  end  with  the  completion  of  the  high  school  course. 

The  elementary  course  covers  a  period  of  eight  years,  and  the  aim 
is  to  make  it  thorough  and  practical  by  inculcating  habits  of  regularity, 
punctuality,  obedience,  neatness,  and  accuracy  in  work.  The  subjects  in 
the  elementary  course  are  Reading,  Orthography,  Drawing,  Writing, 
Arithmetic,  Language,  Grammar,  Geography,  United  States  History,  Men- 
tal Arithmetic,  Civil  Government,  Physiology,  and  vocal  music.  A  kin- 
dergarten department  is  also  maintained  by  the  district,  and  approved 
work  is  being  done  in  this  line. 

The  total  enrollment  for  the  current  year  is  1607  in  all  depart- 
ments, of  which  178  are  enrolled  in  the  High  School,  1359  in  the  element- 
ary schools,  and  70  in  the  kindergarten. 

The  total  enrollment  for  the  term  closing  in  May,  1900,  was  983. 
The  increase  in  six  years  has  been  63  per  cent.  There  were  22  teachers 
employed  in  the  schools  in  1900  besides  the  superintendent.  This  year 
there  are  45  teachers  employed  in  the  schools  besides  the  superintendent*. 
In  1900  there  were  three  teachers  and  71  students  in  the  High  School. 
Now  there  are  178  students  and  seven  teachers.  The  growth  shown 
by  these  figures  needs  no  comment. 

The  schools  are  well  supplied  with  libraries,  which  have  been  pur- 
chased with  the  proceeds  of  entertainments,  with  the  tuition  fees,  and 
with  some  appropriations  from  the  Board.  There  are  about  700  volumes 
of  supplementary  readers,  and  approximately  1200  volumes  in  the  graded 
libraries  of  the  elementary  schools.  In  the  High  School  library  there 
are  1350  volumes  of  fiction  and  general  literature,  and  reference  works 
in  history,  science  and  literature.  These  libraries  are  in  charge  of  the 
teachers,  and  books  are  given  out  in  such  a  way  as  to  supplement  the 
work  in  the  different  subjects  studied,  and  to  arouse  a  permanent  interest 
in  good  literature. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  191 

In  school  room  decoration  work  of  permanent  value  has  been  done. 
Reproductions  of  the  masterpieces  of  art  and  sculpture  to  the  value  of 
many  hundreds  of  dollars  have  been  hung  on  the  walls  of  the  rooms  in 
the  different  buildings.  The  presence  of  these  works  has  stimulated  an 
interest  in  the  great  paintings  of  the  world,  while  a  perceptible  improve- 
ment in  the  personal  appearance,  neatness,  and  order  among  the  children- 
can  be  observed.  These  works  of  art  have  been  secured  through  the 
use  of  traveling  art  exhibits,  and  from  the  generous  donations  of  the 
friends  of  the  schools. 

The  Board  of  Education  of  the  Fairmont  Schools  is  now  composed 
of  the  following  named  gentlemen:  Hon.  E.  M.  Showalter,  President, 
and  Mr.  M.  J.  Lantz  and  Mr.  W.  E.  Arnett,  Commissioners;  and  Mr.  T. 
W.  Boydston,  Secretary. 


The  Harrisville  Schools. 

BY    JESSIE    TEESHAM. 

The  town  of  Harrisville  is  justly  proud  of  her  beautiful  and  health- 
ful location,  her  clean  streets  and  well  kept  buildings  and  her  prosperous 
citizenship,  free  from  the  undesirable  foreign  shiftless  element  that  in- 
fests so  many  towns.  But  more  especially  does  she  pride  herself  upon 
her  schools  for  which  she  claims  an  excellence  not  often  attained  outside 
those  of  the  larger  cities.  The  first  public  school  in  Harrisville  was 
opened  in  18G4  and  consisted  of  two  rooms,  with  S.  P.  McCormick  of  Mon- 
ongalia  County  as  principal.  It  remained  a  district  sclxool  with  a  term 
of  four  months  until  1872.  When  the  Harrisville  Independent  District 
was  established  by  acts  of  the  Legislature  the  term  was  then  increased  to 
eight  months. 

In  1878  a  substantial  brick  building  of  four  rooms  was  erected.  This 
structure  proved  adequate  to  the  needs  of  the  town  until  about  the  year 
1902,  when  the  crowded  condition  of  the  school  made  it  necessary  to  pro- 
vide additional  room  and  two  of  the  grades  were  given  temporary  quar- 
ters in  a  business  building.  During  the  summer  of  1904  the  building 
was  remodeled  and  enlarged  by  the  addition  of  two  rooms  and  an  audi* 
torium;  the  latter  is  a  large,  well  lighted  and  ventilated  hall,  seated  with 
opera  chairs  and  admirably  suited  to  many  purposes  of  the  school.  The 
school  course  covers  ten  years  and  includes  a  High  School  course  of 
two  years. 

At  present,  the  High  School  curriculum  consists  of  two  years  of  His- 
tory, Latin,  Algebra,  Geometry,  English  Literature,  Physical  Geography 
and  Physics.  The  course  will  shortly  be  extended  and  made  to  include 
all  the  subjects  required  in  a  High  School  of  standard  grade.  The  ex- 
cellence of  the  work  done  by  the  Harrisville  schools  is  attested  by  its 
recognition  on  the  accredited  list  of  the  University.  Since  1880  the  fol- 
lowing persons  successively  have  occupied  the  position  of  principal: 


192  HISTOBY  OF  EDUCATION 

1.  George  K.  Scott.  8.  W.  W.  Tapp. 

2.  George  W.  Lowther.  9.  J.  F.  Marsh. 

3.  M.  A.  Hayes.  10.  Robert  Morris. 

4.  J.  H.  Lininger.  11.  B.  H.  Hall. 

5.  M.  H.  Willis.  12.  W.  W.  Tapp. 

6.  J.  S.  Cornwell.  13.  H.  E.  Cooper. 

7.  H.  B.  Woods.  14.  Elbert  Jones. 

While  Harrisville  has  never  had  at  its  disposal  the  large  school  fund 
that  is  available  in  large  commercial  and  industrial  cities,  her  citizens 
have  always  been  generous  in  the  support  of  the  school  and  in  the  matter 
of  salaries  and  supplies  she  compares  favorably  with  many  larger  and 
richer  towns.  The  school  library  consists  of  more  than  500  volumes  and 
Is  increased  yearly.  Apparatus  is  supplied  as  liberally  as  means  will  per- 
mit. The  present  Board  of  Education  is  composed  of  the  following: 
R.  R.  Hall,  J.  Willis  Fidler  and  H.  E.  McGinnis. 


The  Public  Schools  of  Huntington. 

BY  WILSON  M.  FOULK,  SUPEBINTENDENT. 

In  the  earlier  edition  (1904)  of  the  History  of  Education  in  West 
Virginia  we  find  a  carefully  compiled  and  exhaustive  account  of  the 
growth  of  our  school  system  from  the  beginning  of  our  city  in  1872  to 
the  date  mentioned  above,  1904.  To  re-write  that  which  has  been  so  at- 
tractively presented  by  my  esteemed  predecessor  Superintendent  W.  H. 
Cole,  would  be  but  a  superogatory  task.  With  but  slight  revision,  and 
some  addition  made  necessary  by  the  unusual  progress  of  the  past  three 
years,  I  present  it  herewith. 

"In  the  year  1870  Mr.  Collis  P.  Huntington,  after  whom  the  city  of 
Huntington  was  named,  projected  the  extension  of  the  Chesapeake  and 
Ohio  railroad  system,  of  which  he  was  then  president,  from  White  Sui-- 
phur  Springs,  which  was  at  that  time  the  terminus,  to  the  Ohio  river. 
Placing  himself  at  the  head  of  a  prospecting  party  which  formed  the 
advanced  corps  of  engineers,  they  came  down  the  New  River  canon  skirt- 
ing the  banks  of  the  Kanawha,  over  the  ridge  of  hills  to  the  Guyandotte 
river,  following  this  river  to  its  mouth,  the  broad  expanse  of  level  terri- 
tory to  the  west  suggested  to  his  mind  the  site  for  a  future  city. 

"He  set  his  agents  to  work  to  procure  the  land  along  the  Ohio  river 
from  Guyandotte  west  a  distance  of  some  three  or  four  miles  and  ex- 
tending back  over  the  hills  skirting  the  valley  to  the  south.  In  1871 
engineers  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Rufus  Cook  were  set  to  work  to  lay 
out  the  future  city  with  broad  avenues  extending  east  and  west  and 
streets  of  ample  width  crossing  these  at  right  angles. 

"The  city  is  one  of  the  most  handsomely  laid  out  of  any  along  the 
river.  In  1873  the  completion  of  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  railroad  to  this 
point  and  the  location  of  the  C.  &  O.  repair  shops  and  the  Ensign  car 
works,  marked  the  beginning  of  the  importance  of  the  new  city. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  193 

"In  1878  the  work  of  extending  the  road  to  Cincinnati  was  commenced, 
but  not  till  1887  was  this  enterprise  completed. 

"The  people  who  built  the  city  believed  in  education  as  an  essential 
element  and  factor  in  an  enterprise  of  this  character.  Early  in  the 
autumn  to  1872  the  first  school  building,  a  house  of  four  rooms,  was 
erected  on  the  corner  of  Fourth  avenue  and  Seventh  street,  known  as  the 
"Buffington  School,"  being  named  after  an  old  and  influential  family  in 
the  early  settlement  of  the  valley.  In  1882  this  was  enlarged  to  eight 
rooms  and  continued  in  use  until  November,  1898,  when  the  new  build- 
ing at  the  corner  of  Fifth  avenue  and  Sixth  street  was  completed  and  occu- 
pied. 

"The  old  building  was  given  to  the  city  by  the  Board  of  Education  for 
hospital  purposes. 

"In  1875  a  building  of  two  rooms  was  erected  on  the  corner  of  Third 
avenue  and  Twenty-second  street  for  the  accommodation  of  the  rapidly 
increasing  population  around  the  car  works.  In  1885  this  building  was 
increased  to  four  rooms,  and  in  1904,  this  structure  gave  place  to  a  hand- 
some, commodious  building  of  eight  rooms. 

"In  1888,  at  an  outlay  of  some  $35,000,  a  fine  modern  styled  school 
building  of  ten  rooms,  office  and  basement,  was  erected  on  the  corner  of 
Fifth  avenue  and  Thirteenth  street.  The  building  was  named  the  "Oley 
School"  in  honor  of  Gen.  John  N.  Oley,  one  of  the  most  potent  factors  in 
all  the  progress  of  the  schools  and  the  city  from  its  inception  to  the 
time  of  his  death,  in  March,  1888.  In  1900  this  building  was  enlarged  to 
twelve  rooms. 

"In  1891  to  provide  for  the  rapid  growth  of  the  city  and  increase  of 
school  population,  a  building  of  eight  rooms  was  erected  on  the  corner  of 
Sixth  avenue  and  Twentieth  street,  and  named  the  "Holderby  School"  in 
honor  of  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  the  city.  In  1899  this  building  was 
enlarged  to  fourteen  rooms. 

"In  1893  a  substantial  stone  and  brick  building  of  six  rooms  was  erect- 
ed on  the  corner  of  Eighth  avenue  and  Sixteenth  street,  known  as  the 
"Douglas  School."  This  building  is  for  the  use  of  colored  pupils. 

"In  1890  a  small  building  of  two  rooms  was  erected  near  the  Chesa- 
peake and  Ohio  shops.  This  building,  known  as  the  Cottage  Grove  School, 
was  in  the  summer  of  1906,  increased  to  four  rooms. 

"In  1898  a  large  and  handsome  building  was  completed  on  the  corner 
of  Fifth  avenue  and  Sixth  street  known  as  the  "Buffington  School."  This 
takes  the  place  of  the  first  school  building  erected  in  the  city  in  1872  on 
the  corner  of  Fourth  avenue  and  Seventh  street.  These  two  buildings 
may  be  regarded  as  typical,  and  taken  as  milestones  marking  the  growth 
of  the  city.  The  building  has  twelve  school  rooms,  large  and  well  lighted, 
and  two  smaller  class  rooms,  besides  a  well  lighted  basement.  This  build- 
ing is  modern  in  its  style  of  architecture,  equipment  and  furnishing. 

"The  population  of  the  city  having  so  rapidly  increased  it  was  found 
necessary  in  1903  to  replace  the  building  on  the  corner  of  Third  avenue 
and  Twenty-second  street  with  a  larger,  more  modern  and  better  equipped 
building.  A  site  was  secured  on  the  corner  of  Fourth  avenue  and  Twenty- 
first  street,  and  a  modern  stone  and  brick  building  of  eight  rooms  was 
erected  known  as  the  "Ensign  School,"  named  after  Major  Ely  Ensign, 


194  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

one  of  the  pioneer  manufacturers  of  the  city,  fur  many  years  at  the  head 
of  the  car  works.  There  is  a  well  lighted  basement  under  the  entire 
building. 

CENTRAL    HIGH    SCHOOL. 

"To  supply  the  demands  for  the  rapidly  growing  High  School  which 
had  been  accommodated  in  the  Oley  building,  it  was  found  necessary 
to  erect  a  building  which  should  be  constructed  to  meet  the  needs  of  the 
modern  High  School.  Accordingly  a  site  was  procured  on  Fifth  avenue 
adjoining  the  Oley  School,  and  a  modern  High  School  building  was  erected 
in  1904.  The  building  is  in  Moorish  style  of  architecture  and  is  a  very 
handsome,  a  very  convenient  and  well  equipped  building.  The  foundation 
is  of  rough  ashler,  pitched  faced  brick,  dark  red  color,  with  free  stone 
water  table.  The  superstructure  is  of  pressed  brick  buff  color  with  a  dark- 
er shade  for  trimmings,  making  a  very  pleasing  color  scheme  added  to 
form  in  architecture.  The  rooms  are  of  ample  size,  ceilings  high  with 
abundance  of  light.  The  corridors  are  of  good  width  but  with  no  waste 
room  in  them.  The  building  is  warmed  and  ventilated  by  the  double 
fan  system,  the  air  being  delivered  into  the  rooms  by  one  fan  and  ex- 
hausted by  another,  the  fans  being  operated  by  a  gas  engine;  the  proper 
temperature  being  insured  by  a  large  furnace  capacity. 

"The  sanitary  closets  in  the  basement  are  of  the  latest  and  best  type 
of  automatic,  self-flushing  closets. 

"Besides  accommodations  in  the  well-lighted  basement  for  the  warm- 
ing and  ventilating  apparatus  and  sanitary  closets,  there  will  be  room  for 
physical  exercise  in  disagreeable  weather,  and  ample  provision  for  an 
industrial,  or  manual  training  department,  besides  a  cafe  for  the  use  of 
those  obliged  to  bring  their  dinners. 

"On  the  first  floor  there  are  six  large,  well-lighted  school  rooms,  with 
cloak  closets  independently  warmed  and  ventilated,  and  provided  with 
water  and  stationary  wash  basins;  and  two  smaller  rooms  to  be.  used  as 
needed  in  the  administration  of  the  building,  for  office,  library,  or  cabinet. 

"On  the  second  floor  there  is  an  auditorium  and  study  hall  70x48  feet, 
well  lighted,  accommodating  with  desks  330  pupils,  or  seating  capacity 
for  an  audience  of  800  people.  Adjacent  to  this  room,  on  the  same  floor, 
are  six  recitation  rooms. 

"On  the  third  floor  are  six  rooms,  besides  a  large  room  for  gymnasium. 
Here  are  ample  accommodations  for  a  well-equipped  scientific  department. 
Besides  a  lecture  room,  seated  in  amphitheatre  form,  with  ample  over- 
head light,  for  experimental  lessons,  there  is  a  large  well-lighted  room  for 
a  Chemical  Laboratory,  rooms  for  physics,  botany,  and  zoology  and  physi- 
ology. 

"The  building  complete,  with  warming  and  ventilating  apparatus,  cost 
a  little  over  $40,000,  which,  considering  its  capacity,  moro  than -twenty 
rooms,  and  the  material,  pressed  brick,  may  be  regarded  as  a  marvel  of 
cheapness. 

PUBLIC    LIBRARY. 

"An  important  part  of  the  educational  system  of  the  city  is  the  Public 


WEST  VIRGINIA  195 

Library.  The  building  is  the  gift  of  Andrew  Carnegie.  It  is  located  on 
one  of  the  important  corners  in  the  city.  The  building  is  66x72  feet, 
two  stories  high,  besides  a  ten-foot  basement;  with  ample  reading  rooms, 
reference  library,  and  stack  room  for  forty  thousand  volumes  on  the 
first  floor.  On  the  second  floor  is  a  music  hall  or  auditorium  where 
concerts,  lectures  and  other  entertainments  of  an  educational  character 
can  be  held;  while  the  basement  will  afford  accommodations  for  carrying 
out  the  "institutional"  idea  in  connection  with  educational  work.  The 
building  itself  is  a  "classic  in  stone,"  being  of  cut  stone  and  in  Grecian 
style  of  architecture,  and  "he  who  runs  may  read." 

"The  library  is  a  part  of  the  educational  system  of  the  city  under  the 
control  and  management  of  the  board  of  education,  and  is  administered 
by  a  committee  appointed  by  the  board,  of  which  the  Superintendent  of 
schools  is  chairman.  While  not  neglecting  any  department  of  literature 
it  is  the  policy  of  the  administration  of  the  library  to  make  it  strong  in  the 
line  of  juvenile  literature,  and  helpful  to  the  young  in  their  work  in 
school,  and  in  forming  a  taste  for  good  literature." 

To  the  above  history  it  remains  for  me  to  add  the  events  since  1904. 

The  rapid  growth  of  the  eastern  and  southern  portions  of  our  city 
during  the  past  two  years  has  brought  with  it  a  like  increase  in  our 
school  population  and  enrollment.  To  meet  this  exigency  it  was  found 
necessary,  during  the  summer  of  190G  to  build  a  two  room  addition  to 
the  Cottage  Grove  School  and  to  break  ground  for  additional  buildings 
in  the  extreme  southern  and  extreme  eastern  sections  of  the  city.  These 
two  buildings — constructed  after  the  same  plan — are  of  brick  and  have 
two  stories  and  basement,  each  story  accommodating  a  school  room  25x30, 
a  cloak  room  and  an  ample  hallway.  These  houses  have  been  so  con- 
structed as  to  readily  permit  of  enlargement  at  any  time  to  four  room,  six 
room  or  eight  room  buildings.  To  the  one  in  the  Ceramic  Addition  on 
the  corner  of  llth  avenue  and  17th  street  has  been  given  the  name  of  the 
"Simms  School"  in  honor  of  the  late  Henry  C.  Simms,  Esq.,  who  in  the 
earlier  history  of  Huntington  was  for  some  years  a  member  of  the  School 
Board  and  for  a  term  or  two,  president  of  the  Board. 

The  one  in  the  eastern  section,  at  4th  avenue  and  28th  street,  has 
been  named  the  "Emmons  School/'  in  honor  of  the  late  Col.  D.  W.  Em- 
mons,  who  was  during  his  lifetime  prominently  identified  with  the  growth 
and  progress  of  our  city — the  school  being  within  the  immediate  neigh- 
borhood of  the  Emmons  homestead  on  the  bank  of  the  Ohio  at  the 
mouth  of  Guyan. 

ORGANIZATION    AND    COURSE    OF    STUDY. 

The  course  of  study  extends  over  a  period  of  twelve  years,  eight  years 
in  the  lower  grades,  followed  by  four  years  in  the  High  School. 

While  a  liberal  variety  of  subjects  is  provided  in  the  course  of  study, 
the  essential  branches — reading,  spelling,  writing,  arithmetic,  geography 
and  language  are  emphasized  at  every  stage  of  the  child's  progress. 

Reading,  embracing  correct  pronunciation,  distinct  articulation,  clear 


196  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

apprehension  and  forcible  expression  of  the  thought;  legibility,  neatness, 
rapidity  in  writing;  accuracy,  neatness  and  rapidity  in  arithmetic;  geo- 
graphy that  begins  at  home  and  relates  places,  conditions  and  peculiar- 
ities in  the  minds  of  pupils  as  real  vital  things;  language  that  compre- 
hends the  book  and  also  the  common,  every  day  speech  of  the  child — 
these  are  some  of  the  important  things  that  are  made  prominent  in  the 
daily  work  of  our  schools. 

THE    HIGH    SCHOOL. 

Our  High  School  course  was  revised  two  years  ago.  The  scope  of  the 
work  in  the  sciences  was  enlarged  and  two  years  of  German  introduced. 
In  brief,  our  present  course,  affording,  as  it  does,  opportunity  for  a 
thorough  and  complete  four  years  training  in  English,  Mathematics  and 
Latin  and  two  years  in  the  sciences  (with  Laboratory  work)  and  German, 
fully  meets  the  present-day  demands  of  a  modern  High  School.  While 
its  trend  is  toward  the  college  and  while  the  school  is  an  accredited  one 
whose  work  is  recognized  and  freely  accepted  by  our  State  University  and 
other  institutions  of  like  standing,  still  the  object  kept  steadily  in  view 
is  the  giving  of  that  education  and  training  which  best  fits  the  citizen 
for  the  practical  affairs  of  life. 

In  conclusion,  the  public  school  system  of  Huntington,  is  thoroughly 
organized,  carefully  supervised,  popular  in  patronage,  and  gratifyingly 
efficient  in  results.  The  daily  mental  growth  and  development  of  over 
three  thousand  children  is  looked  after  in  ten  buildings — commodious, 
comfortable,  and  conspicuously  modern  as  to  hygienic  arrangement  and 
sanitation.  The  rapid  growth  of  Huntington  during  the  past  ten  years 
is  responsible  for  the  fact  that  to-day  there  are  no  old,  dilapidated,  or 
unfit  school  houses  in  use  in  the  city.  The  buildings  formerly  employed 
have  given  place  to  larger  and  better  structures,  several  of  which  have 
taken  rank  as  models  of  up-to-date  school  architecture.  Notably,  the  new 
High  School,  from  its  exterior  beauty  of  architecture  and  well-kept 
grounds,  combined  with  utility  of  interior  arrangement,  has  become  the 
pride  of  the  citizens. 

The  conduct  of  school  affairs  is  in  the  hands  of  such  well-known,  pro- 
gressive citizens  as  John  A.  Jones,  President;  Asa  Barringer,  W.  W. 
Adams,  Joseph  R.  Gallick,  George  E.  Mobus,  and  C.  O.  Harrison.  These, 
with  J.  K.  Oney  of  the  Huntington  National  Bank  as  Secretary,  consti- 
tute the  present  Board  of  Education.  The  success  of  their  administration 
is  evidenced  not  only  by  the  efficiency  of  the  schools  but  by  the  fact  that 
the  school  tax  is  but  33  cents  on  the  $100  valuation. 

Seventy-four  teachers,  including  nine  principals,  and  two  music  super- 
visors,— under  the  guidance  and  direction  of  the  Superintendent, — con- 
stitute the  potent  factors  of  a  well-graded  system  of  primary  and  secondary 
instruction  that  takes  "the  lisping  six-year  old," — and  during  the  succeed- 
ing twelve  years  of  his  life,  prepares  him  for  the  active  duties  of  a  busi- 
ness life,  or  for  the  further  pursuit  of  knowledge  in  higher  institutions 
of  learning. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  197 

ROSTER  OF  SUPERINTENDENTS. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  those  who  have  had  charge  of  the  schools 
from  1872  to  1907. 

1872  to  1874,  Lyman  Chase. 

1874  to  1875,  A.  D.  Chesterman. 

1875  to  1876,  John  Gibson. 

1876  to  1877,  Rev.   A.   Bowers. 

1877  to  1879,  Rev.  James  Madison. 
1879  to  1882,  John  Wizal. 

1882  to  1884,  C.  T.  H.  Kellogg. 

1884  to  1886,  A.  D.  Selby. 

1886  to  1887,  J.  J.  Allison. 

1887  to  1896,  James  M.  Lee. 
1896  to  1898,  W.  D.  Sterling. 
1898  to  1905,  W.  H.  Cole. 

1905  to  ,  Wilson  M.  Foulk. 


History  of  Education  in  Keyser. 

BY   JOS.   W.    STAYMAN,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

The  history  of  education  in  Keyser  may  be  said  to  begin  at  the  close 
of  the  Civil  War.  At  that  time,  Keyser,  which  was  known  as  New  Creek, 
had  a  population  of  about  forty,  and  was  no  more  than  a  way  station 
along  the  line  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad. 

During  the  war,  New  Creek  was  a  considerable  base  for  military  op- 
erations, and  many  Union  soldiers  were  e,ncamped  here,  the  basic  point 
being  Fort  Hill,  the  present  site  of  the  Keyser  Preparatory  Branch  of  the 
West  Virginia  University.  The  purpose  was  to  hold  control  of  the  South 
Branch,  Patterson  Creek  and  New  Creek  valleys,  which  extend  through 
Grant,  Hardy  and  Mineral  counties.  At  the  close  of  the  war,  many 
buildings  owned  by  the  government  and  occupied  by  soldiers  were  sold 
at  public  auction,  among  these  being  an  old  government  hospital,  which 
was  purchased  by  Col.  T.  B.  Davis.  This  building  stood  near  where  the 
Western  Maryland  railroad  bridge  crosses  the  Potomac.  Upon  the  forma- 
tion of  the  county  in  1866,  and  the  establishing  of  the  county  seat  at  New 
Creek,  it  was  used  as  a  court  .house  and  likewise  for  schtfol  purposes. 
Public  worship  was  also  held  therein. 

The  first  school  had  but  one  teacher  and  about  twenty  or  twenty-five 
pupils;  the  teacher  received  a  salary  of  $30.00  per  month.  From  the 
first,  New  Creek  gave  promise  of  growth.  It  was  not  long  till  a  rather 
commodious  court  house  was  built,  this  being  the  same  as  the  present 
court  house  with  the  exception  of  the  new  front,  which  was  subsequently 
added.  The  basement  of  this  building  was  then  used  for  school  purposes. 
Here,  Thomas  P.  Adams,  the  first  county  superintendent  for  Mineral 
county,  taught,  who  perhaps  enjoys  the  distinction  of  having  taught  the 
largest  school  in  the  state.  During  one  year  he  was  the  only  teacher, 
receiving  $50.00  per  month  for  teaching  177  pupils  of  all  grades. 


198  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

In  1873  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad  Company  decided  to  locate 
a  division  terminal  at  New  Creek.  This  action  was  brought  about  largely 
through  the  efforts  of  William  Keyser,  who  was  then  Vice  President  of 
that  company.  In  appreciation  of  the  interest  he  manifested  in  the  wel- 
fare of  the  community,  its  citizens  voted  to  change  the  name  from  New 
Creek  to  Keyser.  Many  railroad  employees  immediately  moved  here,  and 
the  increasing  school  population  made  it  apparent  that  quarters  other  than 
the  basement  of  the  court  house  were  needed  for  school  purposes.  Ac- 
cordingly, the  Board  of  Education  for  New  Creek  District  erected  the 
first  school  building  within  the  present  limits  of  Keyser.  This  is  known 
as  the  old  Ritzell  building,  and  is  now  used  as  a  blacksmith  and  wagon- 
maker  shop.  It  is  two  stories  high,  and  formerly  consisted  of  two  large 
school  room,  with  three  smaller  rooms,  two  up  stairs  and  one  down,  which 
were  used  exclusively  for  recitation  purposes.  It  thus  permitted  of  five 
teachers. 

A  decade  later,  the  population  had  increased  to  such  an  extent  that 
it  became  necessary  to  erect  a  more  substantial  and  ccmmodious  build- 
ing. In  1884  bonds  were  issued,  and  a  building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of 
$12,000.  At  the  time,  this  building  was  considered  the  most  modern  and 
best  constructed  in  the  state,  with  the  exception  of  one  in  Parkersburg. 
It  originally  consisted  of  nine  rooms,  one  being  an  audience  room.  Later 
it  became  necessary,  for  the  accommodation  of  pupils,  to  cut  this  audience 
room  into  three  school  rooms,  increasing  the  number  to  ten,  in  which  con- 
dition it  is  still  used. 

Within  another  decade,  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad  Company 
located  repair  shops  at  Keyser,  and  the  population  steadily  increased. 
Three  years  ago,  the  number  of  pupils  became  so  great,  that  the  overflow 
had  to  be  accommodated  in  a  rented  store  room  in  the  center  of  the 
town.  Public  sentiment  was  soon  moved  to  the  necessity  of  erecting  an- 
other building.  In  1904  bonds  were  issued  to  the  amount  of  $20,000,  and 
what  is  known  as  the  High  School  building  was  erected  on  the  lot  adjoin- 
ing the  site  of  the  old  building.  This  is  one  of  the  most  modernly  de- 
signed buildings  in  the  state,  and  is  not  excelled  in  quality  of  work- 
manship. It  is  three  stories  in  height;  consists  of  eight  well  arranged 
school  rooms  on  the  first  and  second  floors,  and  an  auditorium  on  the 
third  floor  with  a  seating  capacity  of  500,  thus  affording  an  ideal  assem- 
bly room  for  school  exercises  and  entertainments  under  the  auspices  of 
the  school.  • 

This,  in  brief,  is  the  history  of  the  school  as  to  buildings.  No  less 
progressive  has  been  the  development  as  to  curriculum  and  qualifications 
of  teachers.  In  1877  the  Independent  District  of  Keyser  was  created 
by  legislative  enactment,  for  the  purpose  of  increasing  the  length  of 
term  and  affording  higher  salaries,  thereby  securing  the  best  available 
teachers.  As  the  attendance  warranted,  more  teachers  were  employed. 
The  schools  were  graded  along  the  lines  laid  down  in  the  state  manual. 
Gradually  higher  branches  of  study  were  added  to  the  course,  and  the 
High  School  department  was  thus  evolved.  The  course  of  study  now  em- 
braces a  period  of  thirteen  years,  nine  of  which  are  in  the  grades  and  four 
in  the  High  School. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  199 

OU'RSE  OF  STUDY  IN  THE  HIGH  SCHOOL. 

The  High  School  course  is  not  as  elastic  as  might  be  desired  on  ac- 
count of  a  comparatively  low  enrollment.  But  one  elective  branch  of 
study  is  in  the  course,  namely,  German,  which  is  open  to  third  and 
fourth  y-?ar  students.  For  the  past  four  years  there  has  been  a  gradual 
increase  in  the  number  of  High  School  students,  and  it  is  hoped  that 
in  a  short  time  at  least  two  courses  of  study  will  be  open  to  those  who 
enter  this  department. 

ENROLLMENT. 

The  enrollment  in  the  High  School  is  51,  which,  with  759  pupils  in 
the  grades,  makes  the  entire  enrollment  810. 

TEACHERS. 

No  more  progressive  corps  of  teachers  will  be  found  in  the  state  than 
that  of  the  Keyser  School.  Each  teacher  has  at  heart  the  general  welfare 
of  the  schools.  A  teachers'  meeting  is  held  regularly  on  Wednesday  night 
throughout  the  school  year,  at  which  some  course  of  study  is  pursued,  and 
a  portion  of  the  time  given  to  the  discussion  of  important  school  problems, 
more  especially  those  which  pertain  to  local  conditions. 

FORMER   PRINCIPALS. 

The  following  are  the  gentlemen  who  have  served  in  the  capacity  of 
Principal  or  Superintendent  of  the  schools,  with  term  of  service,  as  nearly 
as  can  be  ascertained: 

J.   E.   Trussell,       1877-1878  W.  C.  Campbell,     1894-1897 

F.  P.  Heskett,         1878-1880  R.  M.  Collins,         1897-1902 

D.  W.  Shields,        1880-1890  Jos.  W.  Stayman,  1902 -- 

Geo.  E.  Martin,       1890  - 1894 

APPARATUS. 

While  the  schools  are  not  equipped  so  well  with  apparatus  as  Is  de- 
sired, still  this  problem  is  being  solved  very  nicely.  The  Board  of  Educa- 
tion appropriated  $100.00  this  year  for  this  purpose,  and  it  is  hoped  a 
like  appropriation  will  be  made  each  year.  The  amount  this  year  was 
expended  for  physical  apparatus  and  supplementary  reading  material  for 
the  lower  grades. 

LIBRARY. 

Each  year,  under  the  present  administration,  an  effort  has  been  made 
towards  raising  money  for  library  purposes.  Funds  have  been  obtained 
through  entertainments  and  contributions  by  teachers  and  pupils.  As  a 
result  of  these  efforts,  $326.15  has  been  collected  within  the  past  four 
years,  practically  all  of  which  has  been  placed  in  books.  The  library  con- 
tains over  350  well  selected  books,  aside  from  a  modern  encyclopaedia  of 
sixteen  volumes,  and  other  works  of  reference.  In  addition  the  school 
has  a  teachers'  working  library  which  is  made  up  chiefly  of  books  which 
have  been  sent  to  the  superintendent  with  the  compliments  of  various 


200  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

publishers.     These  are  largely  specimen  copies  of  school  texts,  but  good 
use  is  being  made  of  them  by  the  teachers  in  supplementary  work. 

LITERARY    SOCIETY. 

Two  years  ago  a  literary  society  was  organized.  The  membership, 
which  is  entirely  voluntary,  is  open  to  students  of  the  High  School  and 
9th  grade.  So  great  has  been  the  interest  in  this  work,  that  not  since 
the  organization  of  the  society  has  there  been  a  night  when  a  meeting 
failed  to  be  had  for  lack  of  a  sufficient  number,  and  very  rarely  does 
it  occur  that  any  who  are  on  the  program  fail  to  respond.  The  society, 
which  meets  regularly  each  Friday  night,  has  a  membership  of  about 
fifty. 

DISCIPLINE. 

A  history  of  these  schools  is  not  complete  which  does  not  mention  the 
character  of  discipline.  Pupils,  as  far  as  possible,  are  placed  upon  their 
honor,  and  very  rarely  is  this  trust  betrayed.  The  principle  of  moral 
suasion  is  used  throughout.  While  corporal  punishment  is  permitted,  it 
is  used  only  as  a  last  resort,  and  is  usually  administered  privately  by 
the  superintendent.  The  problem  of  tardiness  has  been  almost  eliminated. 
Out  of  an  enrollment  of  over  800,  the  cases  of  tardiness  do  not  average 
more  than  ten  per  month.  Cheerful  and  prompt  obedience  is  given  upon 
the  part  of  practically  all  pupils  to  the  requirements  of  their  teacher. 

BOARD    OF    EDUCATION. 

Keyser  enjoys  an  unusually  strong  sentiment  in  favor  of  her  public 
schools.  This  means  that  her  citizens  cast  about  for  the  best  material 
for  members  of  the  Board  of  Education.  Throughout  the  history  of  the 
schools,  representative  men  have  been  elected  to  fill  this  important  trust. 
Among  those  who  have  served  in  this  capacity  are  the  following  gentle- 
ment  who  are  of  more  than  local  repute:  Judge  F.  M.  Reynolds,  Jas. 
A.  Sharpless;  Dr.  C.  S.  Hoffman,  Wm.  C.  Clayton,  J.  H.  Markwood,  Hon. 
T.  R.  Carskadon,  and  Wm .  MacDonald .  The  Board  at  present  is  composed 
of  A.  W.  Coffroth,  president,  Geo.  P.  Warner  and  H.  S.  Thompson.  These 
gentlemen  are  prominent  in  the  community,  and  arc  most  solicitious  for 
the  welfare  of  the  public  schools. 

COLORED  SCHOOL. 

Though  the  colored  population  of  Keyser  is  small,  still  the  children 
of  this  people  are  not  neglected  when  it  comes  to  looking  after  their 
educational  needs.  The  enrollment  in  the  colored  school  is  47.  They 
are  nicely  housed  in  a  one-story  brick  building,  well  located  in  the  town, 
and  surrounded  by  a  large  lot  which  affords  ample  play  ground.  Mr.  J.  J. 
Joiner,  the  only  teacher,  has  charge  of  this  worl . 


SECOND  WARD,  MARTIN  SIJURG 


IHOOL  FOR  DEAF  AND  BLIND,  ROMNEY 


WEST  VIRGINIA  201 

The  Kingwood  Schools. 

BY    PRINCIPAL    II.    E.    FLESIIER. 

Kingwood  has  had,  in  a  history  running  back  almost  one  hundred 
years,  three  wholly  different  kinds  of  schools.  First  came  the  Pioneer 
Schools;  later,  the  Preston  Academy;  and  still  more  recently,  the  Pub- 
lic School.  Any  considerable  account  of  education  in  Kingwood  relates 
to  the  first  and  the  second  of  these,  as  well  as  to  the  last. 

PIONEER    SCHOOLS. 

At  the  close  of  the  Revolution  the  site  of  Kingwood  was  camping 
ground  for  white  hunters.  In  1790  settlement  was  first  made  here,  and 
in  1810  Kingwood  was  a  straggling  village  of  a  dozen  families.  Earlier 
than  the  latter  date  some  provision  was  made  for  the  public  instruction 
of  the  youth  of  the  settlement.  Of  the  school  masters  of  that  early  day 
a  Mr.  Murphy  is  the  best  remembered. 

In  1818  Kingwood  was  made  the  county-seat  of  the  newly  organized 
county  of  Preston.  About  this  time,  what  was  then  known  as  the  Jordan 
school  house  was  built  a  short  distance  from  town.  This  was  a  typical 
pioneer  school  house.  It  was  laid  up  of  round  logs,  with  the  chinks 
filled  with  mud  mortar.  A  huge  stone  chimney  extended  the  full  width 
of  the  building.  The  floor  was  of  slabs,  fastened  to  the  heavy  sleepers 
with  wooden  pins.  The  roof  was  of  clap-boards  held  on  with  weight-poles 
The  door  swung  on  wooden  hinges  and  was  kept  closed  with  a  wooden  latch, 
which  was  lifted  with  a  string  of  raw  deer  hide.  The  pupils  sat  on  back- 
less seats,  which  were  made  of  slabs  with  rough  wooden  legs  fitted  into 
them.  Daylight  entered  the  room  through  greased  paper.  Here  school 
was  kept  for  two  or  three  months  in  the  winter  time,  and  was  attended 
by  those  whose  parents  or  guardians  were  able  to  pay  the  tuition  charges. 
Among  those  who  taught  in  this  school  were  Rev.  John  Francesco,  James 
H.  Carroll,  Smith  Crane,  and  William  Nicholson.  Most  of  these  men  were 
college  bred;  all  were  good  men  and  capable  teachers,  and  later  dis- 
tinguished themselves  in  other  callings  and  professions. 

In  the  30's  sometime,  the  Jordan  school  was  discontinued,  and  the 
Kingwood  youth  attended  school  in  town.  No  school  house  was  built  here, 
but  rooms  were  rented  for  the  purpose  in  different  parts  of  the  town. 
Rev.  William  Carroll  taught  a  school  in  the  Locke  house,  where  the  father 
of  Petroleum  V.  Nasby  is  said  to  have  lived  at  one  time.  Rev.  Henry 
Clay  Dean,  a  noted  preacher  and  teacher  of  his  day,  taught  in  what  is 
now  the  Jenkins  hotel.  Maj.  William  Conley  taught  in  still  another  part 
of  the  town.  A  little  later  a  small  brick  school  nouse  was  built,  which, 
however,  was  not  long  used  for  school  purposes.  It  has  long  since  been 
torn  down. 

From  the  earliest  times  down  to  1830,  schools  in  Kingwood  were  sup- 
ported entirely  by  subscription.  The  same  system  may  be  said  to  have 
continued  until  1845;  for,  although  the  Literary  Fund  for  the  aid  of  the 
very  poor  was  being  distributed  by  the  State  of  Virginia,  the  amounts 
that  fell  to  the  share  of  Preston  county  were  too  inconsiderable  to  be 
reckoned. 


202  HISTORY   OF  EDUCATION 

PKKSTON      A(  ADK.MY. 

Kingwood  had  in  1840,  what  it  had  had  from  the  first  settlement  and 
what  it  has  had  to  this  day — a  population  which,  if  small,  was  remark- 
ably well-to-do,  intelligent,  and  progressive.  At  the  head  of  the  affairs  of 
the  town  at  that  time  stood  a  group  of  remarkable  men — wealthy,  able, 
ambitious.  These  men  desired  for  their  sons  and  daughters,  and  for  the 
sons  and  daughters  of  their  neighbors,  higher  educational  advantages 
than  the  schools  of  the  town  then  were  offering.  Accordingly,  in  1841 
Hon.  William  G.  Brown,  at  that  time  representing  Preston  county  in  the 
General  Assembly  of  Virginia,  introduced  and  had  passed  through  that 
body  an  act  creating  the  Preston  Academy.  Elisha  M.  Hagans,  Israel  Bald- 
win, Thomas  Brown,  Soloman  P.  Herndon,  William  Sigler,  John  P.  Bryne, 
John  Magee,  John  R.  Stone,  William  Elliott,  Buckner  Fairfax,  William 
Brown  and  William  B.  Zinn  were  by  the  act  made  trustees  of  the  insti- 
tution, and  were  empowered,  they  and  their  successors,  to  hold  property  to 
the  value  of  thirty  thousand  dollars,  with  the  proceeds  of  which  they 
were  to  pay  the  tuition  charges  of  such  pupils  of  the  school  as  were  not 
able  otherwise  to  have  it  paid  for  them. 

Hon.  James  C.  McGrew  was  awarded  the  contract  for  erecting  the 
academy  building,  which,  was  done  by  1844.  Here  school  was  opened  the 
next  year.  The  term  was  ten  months,  one  session  beginning  in  September 
and  the  other  in  February.  Those  able  to  pay  were  charged  tuition;  all 
others  had  it  paid  for  them  at  the  rate  of  one  cent  per  day. 

Some  of  the  principals  and  teachers  of  the  academy  were:  Christopher 
Nicholson,  of  Belfast  University,  Ireland;  Rev.  John  G.  Howell,  of  Prince- 
ton University;  Samuel  Duncan,  Louis  B.  Williams  and  James  A.  Brown, 
of  Washington  College,  Pa.;  R.  G.  Gilson  and  R.  C.  Crooks,  of  Dickinson 
College,  Pa.;  James  P.  Smith,  of  Western  Reserve  College,  Ohio;  William 
B.  Tooten,  of  Horace  Mann's  school  at  Antioch,  Ohio;  Felix  Elliott,  J. 
Holmas  Gans,  Mrs.  Tassey,  Mrs.  Clark,  Lizzie  Little,  Priscilla  Hill,  and 
Benjamin  Garvy.  These  were  strong  men  and  women.  As  teachers  they 
were  capable,  scholarly,  severe. 

Preston  Academy  exerted  a  tremendous  influence  over  the  after  lives 
of  its  student  body.  Of  those  that  remained  in  Kingwood,  many  helped 
to  bring  prosperity  to  the  town,  and  added  greatly  to  the  general  intelli- 
gence and  cultivation  for  which  Kingwood  is  so  well  known.  Of  those 
that  went  out  from  here  to  seek  their  fortunes,  many  found  success,  and 
some  renown.  Hon.  J.  P.  Dolliver  is  a  U.  S.  Senator  from  Iowa.  Hon. 
Charles  E.  Brown  was  post  master  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  during  the  last 
Cleveland  administration.  Hon.  Edward  C.  Bunker  and  Hon.  Marcellus 
B.  Hagans  became  noted  jurists,  the  former  in  West  Virginia,  and  the 
latter  in  Ohio.  Hon.  Edward  A.  Bennett  was  once  auditor  of  West  Vir- 
ginia. Commander  R.  M.  G.  Brown,  who  recently  died  in  Washington, 
D.  C.,  achieved  fame  as  a  leader  in  our  difficulties  in  Samoa  some  years 
ago.  Dr.  Geo.  H.  McGrew,  son  of  Kingwood's  most  venerable  and  dis- 
tinguished citizen,  graduated  from  Harvard  with  honors,  practiced  law 
successfully  for  a  while,  went  out  to  India  as  a  missionary  for  ten  years, 
and  until  recently  was  rector  of  one  of  the  largest  Episcopal  churches  in 


WEST  VIRGINIA  203 

the  United  States.     To  this  list  could  be  added,  if  space  permitted,  the 
names  of  a  dozen  others  equally  noted. 

PUBLIC    SCHOOLS. 

Since  the  organization  of  West  Virginia  as  a  state,  and  the  subse- 
quent adoption  of  the  free  school  system,  Kingwood  has  had  of  course  a 
public  school.  The  old  academy,  however,  was  used  for  a  public  school 
building  until  1874,  when  four  rooms  of  the  present  public  school  build- 
ing were  erected.  Only  two  of  these  rooms  were  needed  at  first,  but  by 
1904  it  was  necessary  to  add  two  new  rooms  to  the  old  building.  In  1905 
still  another  addition  was  built,  making  the  number  of  rooms  in  the 
building  ten,  not  counting  a  small  library  room. 

Six  teachers  have  in  charge  the  grade  work  of  the  school.  Two  teach- 
ers including  the  principal  teach  the  high  school  work,  which  covers  a 
period  of  three  years.  Plans  are  being  formed  to  add,  next  year,  an- 
other year  to  the  high  school  course,  thus  bringing  the  standard  of  the 
school  up  to  the  entrance  requirement  of  the  West  Virginia  University. 

At  present  the  term  is  eight  months.  The  sentiment  among  the 
people  of  the  town,  especially  among  the  heaviest  taxpayers,  favors  a 
nine  months  term. 

The  school  has  a  well  selected  library  o'f  more  than  five  hundred 
volumes.  To  these,  because  of  the  generosity  of  the  people  of  Kingwood, 
books  are  being  added  yearly  to  the  value  of  one  hundred  dollars.  Recent- 
ly a  Columbia-Crowell  physical  cabinet  was  added  to  the  equipment  of 
the  school. 

The  following,  in  order,  are  the  names  of  the  former  principals  of  the 
school :  John  Taylor,  Geo.  N.  Glover,  Joseph  H.  Hawthorne,  U.  S.  Fleming, 
I.  C.  Ralphsnyder,  A.  W.  Frederick,  W.  M.  Shahan,  A.  J.  Hare,  Millard 
Pell,  I.  G.  Lazzell,  A.  J.  Cox,  E.  D.  Stewart,  C.  C.  Showalter,  G.  A.  Crichet, 
Rufus  Holden,  Mrs.  Rufus  Holden,  and  L.  C.  Snyder.  Many  of  these  were 
great  leaders  and  teachers  and  are  held  in  grateful  memory  here.  Many 
of  them  have  taken  up  other  lines,  and  are  now  successful  lawyers,  phy- 
sicians, and  business  men.  Prof.  A.  J.  Hare  is  at  the  head  of  the  Prepara 
tory  School  at  the  West  Virginia  University.  Prof.  U.  S.  Fleming  is  prin- 
cipal of  the  Fairmont  Normal  School.  Prof.  Rufus  Holden,  who,  with  his 
wife,  was  connected  with  the  school  for  twelve  years,  and  who  died  here 
recently,  is  remembered  with  particular  affection. 

Kingwood  in  every  way  is  an  ideal  school  town.  It  is  beautifully  and 
healthfully  located.  It  has  no  distractions.  The  people  are  kind.  King- 
wood  should  have,  and  that  right  soon,  one  of  the  best  little  schools  in 
the  State. 


Sketch  of  Lewisburg   and   its   Educational 
Institutions. 

BY    W.    E.    SCOTT. 

One  of  the  oldest  towns  in  West  Virginia  is  Lewisburg.     Its  beginning 


204  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

was  the  erection  of  the  old  Fort  Union  in  1774.  When  the  savage  no  more 
visited  the  beautiful  Savannah  on  which  the  old  fort  stood,  its  walls 
were  permitted  to  crumble  and  the  old  pioneers  went  forth  not  with  rifle, 
but  with  ax  to  reclaim  from  the  wilderness  what  their  valor  had  won. 
How  well  they  have  succeeded  let  posterity  answer. 

Of  the  early  history  of  Lewisburg,  we  know  but  little.  It  was  made 
a  town  by  legislative  enactment  in  1782.  C.  T.  Valney  a  celebrated 
French  traveler  visited  the  place  in  1795.  It  was  then  a  considerable 
village  of  several  buildings,  one  of  which  still  stands  and  is  pointed 
out  to  the  traveler  as  a  place  in  which  was  once  heard  the  matchless 
eloquence  of  Patrick  Henry.  Another  object  of  interest  to  the  trav- 
eler is  the  Old  Stone  Church  erected  in  1796.  It  is  of  Gothic  archi- 
tecture and  is  built  of  irregular  blocks  of  blue  limestone  quarried  from 
the  native  hills. 

Of  the  men  whose  lives  have  helped  make  Lewisburg  a  seat  of  culture, 
refinement,  and  learning,  space  permits  mention  of  but  one — The  Reverend 
John  McBlhenny.  He  came  to  Lewisburg  as  a  minister  in  1808,  and  for 
sixty  three  years  was  active  as  pastor  of  the  Old  Stone  Church.  His  re- 
ligious and  educational  efforts  have  caused  us  to  linger  round  his  name 
while  other  names  have  faded  from  our  recollection. 

The  same  year  in  which  Dr.  McElhenny  arrived  in  Lewisburg,  he 
opened  a  classical  school  which  he  later  developed  into  the  Lewisburg 
Academy.  This  school  was  incorporated  in  1812  by  the  General  Assem- 
bly, and  for  forty-eight  years  Dr.  McElhenny  was  intimately  connected 
with  its  work.  Many  of  the  great  men  of  the  State  owe  their  success 
to  the  old  Lewisburg  Academy. 

In  1858,  the  Lewisburg  Female  Institute  was  incorporated  and  for 
fifty  years  it  has  been  engaged  in  training  young  ladies  for  life's  work. 
It  has  become  a  famous  school  and  is  widely  known  as  one  of  the  leading 
institutions  for  the  education  of  young  women.  A  notable  event  in  the 
history  of  the  institution  occurred  in  1892,  when  the  stockholders  trans- 
ferred the  property  to  the  Presbyterian  church.  There  was  then  donated 
$11,000  to  the  school  by  its  friends  and  an  era  of  material  progress  began. 
On  December  16,  1901,  the  buildings  of  the  school  were  totally  destroyed 
by  fire.  But  the  people  rose  to  the  emergency,  $60,000  was  raised,  new 
buildings  were  erected,  and  the  institution  continues  its  successful  career. 

In  1896  under  the  direction  of  Major  Jas.  M.  Lee,  the  Lee  Military 
Academy  was  established  at  Lewisburg.  After  a  few  years  of  successful 
achievement  it  became  the  property  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  sine* 
which  time  it  has  had  a  changing  history.  In  1904  the  old  building  was 
destroyed  by  fire,  but  the  site  was  not  long  vacant.  A  new,  and  beautiful 
brick  structure  now  marks  the  spot.  The  school  is  entering  upon  a  new 
period  of  prosperity  and  is  fast  becoming  one  of  the  leading  preparatory 
schools  in  the  State. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  205 

History  of  the  Mannington  Schools. 

BY   II.    H.   ROSE. 

Shortly  after  the  adoption  of  the  Free  School  System  in  West  Vir- 
ginia, education  received  earnest  attention  in  Mannington,  and  no  place 
and  no  people  since  that  time  have  been  characterized  by  a  greater  inter- 
est in  the  same.  Mannington  needs  no  introduction.  She  is  located  on 
the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad  fifty-eight  miles  south  of  Wheeling,  in 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  valleys  in  the  State. 

Mannington,  in  the  first  place,  boasts  of  having  a  school  building  and 
school  interest  second  to  none  in  the  State.  Early  in  the  summer  of 
1865  a  school  board  was  appointed  consisting  of  Alpheus  Prichard,  Wil- 
liam Hawker,  and  James  C.  Hamilton,  who  at  once  set  about  to  lay  a  levy 
sufficient  to  run  the  school  four  months  in  the  year.  There  was  no  little 
interest  here  manifested,  and  it  needs  be  mentioned  «that  these  men  with 
their  untiring  energies  did  much  to  lay  the  foundation  of  a  school  spirit 
that  has  continued  to  increase  to  the  present  time. 

Mannington,  at  the  beginning  of  the  school  era,  was  a  straggling  vil- 
lage of  only  a  few  hundred  inhabitants,  and  having  no  means  to  erect 
a  school  house,  the  first  school  was  held  in  the  old  M.  E.  Church,  now 
occupied  by  Pitzer  &  Hammel,  general  merchants,  on  Clarksburg  street, 
near  the  iron  bridge  which  spans  Buffalo  creek.  The  church  was  con- 
verted into  two  rooms  and  occupied  by  about  one  hundred  pupils.  The 
records  of  the  first  school  having  b^en  lost  by  floods  and  fire,  we  rely 
upon  the  memory  of  its  first  teacher,  Mr.  B.  F.  Gharlton. 

Mr.  Charlton,  who  has  since  held  several  offices  of  public  trust  and 
honor,  was  fts  first  principal,  assisted  by  Miss  Mary  A.  Smith,  of  Fair- 
view.  The  schools  were  continued  in  this  manner  for  two  years,  when 
it  was  found  that  a  term  of  four  months  was  only  a  waste  of  time  and 
money.  The  school  board  then  set  to  work  and  procured  sufficient  as- 
sistance from  the  Peabody  Fund  to  extend  the  term  to  six  months.  They 
were  favored  by  such  assistance  for  two  years,  when  they  were  com- 
pelled to  reduce  the  term  to  four  months  again.  The  population  of  the 
town  so  increased  that  two  teachers  were  not  sufficient  to  teach  the  youth 
and  more  aid  was  secured.  The  board  was  obliged  to  rent  rooms  until 
1869,  when  the  first  school  house  that  Mannington  ever  had  was  erected 
on  the  corner  of  School  and  Clarksburg  streets.  Mr.  Charlton  resigned 
to  fill  a  position  in  the  State  Legislature.  He  was  succeeded  by  Mr. 
Kendall  of  Shinnston,  who  taught  one  year. 

In  1870  again  the  Board  of  Education  was  successful  in  procuring 
sufficient  aid  from  the  Peabody  Fund  to  lengthen  the  term.  From 
this  time  the  citizens  of  Mannington  have  been  enjoying  from  six  to 
eight  months  school,  not  through  the  aid  of  the  Peabody  Fund  alone,  but 
by  a  vote  of  the  citizens  of  the  town,  for  the  additional  months  not 
granted  by  the  voters  of  Mannington  District. 

Mr.  Charlton,  on  his  return  from  the  Legislature,  was  elected  princi- 
pal of  the  new  four-room  building,  and  after  two  years  the  building  was 
found  to  be  much  too  small  and  two  rooms  were  added  in  1874. 


206  HISTORY   OF  EDUCATION 

Mr.  Charlton  and  his  five  assistants  and  two  hundred  pupils  clinched 
the  public  school  sentiment  in  the  minds  of  the  citizens  as  a  positive 
good.  In  1872  Mr.  Charlton  was  succeeded  by  Professor  Wheeler,  of 
Pruntytown,  who  taught  until  1876,  when  he  was  followed  by  B.  F.  Mar- 
tin, John  A.  Bock,  of  Farmington,  Jacob  W.  May,  W.  S.  Meredith,  J.  V. 
Carpenter  and  W.  M.  Haggerty,  of  Mannington.  These  gentlemen  lost 
no  time  in  demonstrating  to  the  citizens  of  the  town  that  they  were 
poorly  paid  for  the  work  they  did.  They  labored  diligently  in  cultivating 
the  friends  of  the  school  in  a  nobler  opinion  of  its  excellence.  The  ex- 
cellence of  their  work  was  attested  by  the  number  of  teachers  that  went 
out  from  the  public  school  to  teach  during  their  tuition  here. 

From  a  period  of  fifteen  years  the  population  increased  sufficiently  to 
warrant  the  addition  of  only  two  rooms.  The  spirit  of  education  \n  the 
meantime  did  not  lag;  good  work  by  able  instructors  was  being  done.  It 
might  be  truthfully  said  that  the  spirit  which  prompted  the  building  of 
the  present  magnificent  structure  was  firmly  taking  root  in  the  minds  of 
the  business  men  of  Mannington,  and  I  would  be  a  partial  historian  if 
I  did  not  here  mention  the  late  James  H.  Furbee  and  A.  F.  Conaway,  who 
labored  zealously  to  promote  the  good  work. 

In  1893  John  H.  Brock  was  elected  principal.  The  enrollment  then 
was  about  three  hundred  and  twenty  pupils.  About  this  time  oil  was 
found  in  the  immediate  vicinity;  this  attracted  quite  a  number  of  people 
from  other  states.  The  population  soon  increased  to  such  an  extent 
that  it  was  found  necessary  to  "tear  down  and  build  greater."  A  more 
commodious  building  was  erected. 

In  1893  G.  V.  Millan  was  elected  President  of  the  Board  of  Education 
and  B.  F.  Charlton,  Secretary,  and  when  the  question  was  raised  con- 
cerning the  building  of  a  new  school  house,  Mr.  J.  T.  Koen,  the  late  Jas. 
H.  Furbee  and  Jchn  Blackshere  were  appointed  members  of  the  building 
committee.  These  men  deserve  special  mention  for  their  untiring  labor 
spent  in  the  interest  of  education.  It  was  not  a  pleasant  task  for  them. 
Much  opposition  arose,  but  they  met  it  all  with  a  courage  that  deserves 
commendation.  Ofttimes  when  the  building  funds  were  limited,  these 
great-hearted  men  went  down  into  their  own  pockets  to  meet  their  neigh- 
bors' obligations,  as  well  as  their  own.  In  1894  the  structure  was  begun. 
The  old  frame  building  gave  way  to  a  splendid  brick  structure  of  twelve 
rooms.  Mr.  W.  H.  Daniels  was  elected  the  first  principal  of  the  new  brick 
building  in  1894.  He  taught  three  years. 

With  the  election  of  Mr.  Charles  E.  Jolliffe  to  the  presidency  of  the 
Board  of  Education  of  Mannington  District,  a  new  era  dawned  upon  the 
schools  of  the  city  and  district.  Mr.  Jolliffe  is  now  completing  his  sec- 
ond term,  and  during  these  eight  years  has  been  the  dominating  spirit 
in  the  school  affairs  of  the  district,  So  devoted  to  the  work,  and  so  suc- 
cessful has  he  been  that  his  administration  has  become  a  standing  illus- 
tration at  all  educational  meetings  of  this  State  as  the  one  member  of  a 
Board  of  Education  who  fully  realized  and  rose  to  his  opportunity.  He 
has  devoted  himself  to  the  schools  under  his  jurisdiction  almost  as  at- 
tentitively^as  if  he  had  been  a  paid  superintendent. 

One  of  Mr.  Jolliffe's  first  official  acts  was  to  call  to  his  assistance  Perry 


WEST  VIRGINIA  207 

C.  McBee,  a  graduate  of  the  West  Virginia  University,  at  that  time  prin- 
cipal of  the  Terra  Alta  schools,  who  assumed  the  position  of  superintend- 
ent of  the  cily  schools  of  Mannington  in  1899.  Mr.  McBee  also  became  sec- 
retary of  the  Board  of  Education,  since  which  time  it  has  been  difficult 
to  say  which  is  first  in  school  affairs  of  the  city  and  district,  the  presi- 
dent or  the  secretary.  Upon  Superintendent  McBee,  of  course,  fell  the 
burden  of  the  details  of  organization.  His  first  efforts  were  devoted  to 
the  remodeling  of  the  city  schools.  Prior  to  that  time  the  Mannington 
school  had  been  merely  an  overgrown  village  graded  school;  what  was 
called  the  High  School  was  merely  a  kind  of  fringe  to  the  regular  com- 
mon school  curriculum,  embracing  an  indefinite  number  of  branches  not 
required  to  be  taught  in  common  schools.  Superintendent  McBee  im- 
mediately established  a  standard  High  School,  the  course  at  first  being 
only  two  years. 

With  the  burning  of  the  school  building  in  1902,  the  Board  of  Edu- 
cation was  comforted  with  both  a  necessity  and  an  opportunity.  Their 
manner  of  meeting  the  emergency  is  shown  by  our  present  magnificent 
one  hundred  thousand  dollar  school  building,  without  which  the  high 
efficiency  of  our  schools  would  be  impossible.  This  building  is,  like 
Zion,  "Beautiful  for  situation,"  occupying  as  it  does  almost  all  of  the  best 
block  in  the  best  residential  section  of  the  city.  The  campus  is  perfectly 
level,  well  kept,  and  adorned  with  flower  beds,  shade  and  ornamental 
trees,  so  that  it  has  almost  a  park  like  appearance.  Our  pride  in  this 
building  is  gratified  by  the  compliment  of  having  an  engraving  of  it  on 
the  teachers'  certificate  issued  by  the  Department  of  Free  Schools. 

There  is  now  in  connection  with  the  High  School,  an  extensive  li- 
brary, which  is  in  charge  of  a  paid  librarian,  who  gives  her  entire  time 
to  the  work.  This  is  not  simply  a  school  library,  but  is  managed  as  a 
library  for  the  city  as  well. 

For  several  years  the  school  authorities  have  been  conducting  a  lec- 
ture course,  which  is  equal  to  any  in  the  state.  This  has  come  to  be 
thoroughly  appreciated  by  the  public,  and  all  numbers  are  largely  attend- 
ed. The  recent  addition  to  the  faculty  of  a  teacher  of  music  is  the  latest 
step  forward  by  the  school.  This  teacher  gives  her  entire  time  to  the 
school  and  has  already  made  the  music  department  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful in  the  school.  Under  this  department  has  been  organized  a 
High  School  Orchestra  and  Glee  Club,  who  furnish  music  at  all  the  even- 
ing entertainments  given  by  the  school.  Another  late  departure  is  the 
activity  in  athletics.  The  High  School  has  a  well  equipped  gymnasium 
and  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Monongahela  Valley  League  of  Secondary 
Schools,  which  is  a  league  managed  by  the  teachers  of  the  several  schools. 

It  is  impossible  to  speak  of  our  High  School  without  saying  more 
of  the  District  schools,  for  it  is  rather  a  District  High  School,  than  one 
of  the  city  exclusively.  It  occupies  the  same  relation  to  the  district 
schools  that  out  University  does  to  the  secondary  school  of  the  State,  be- 
ing intended  to  be  the  capstone  of  the  school  system  of  the  district. 

The  present  Board  of  Education  has  emphasized  as  strict  supervision 
over  the  district  schools  as  over  those  in  the  city.  They  are  compelled 
to  give  precisely  the  same-  work  as  given  in  the  grades  in  the  city 


208  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION' 

schools,  so  that  a  graduate  of  a  district  school  passes  directly  into  the 
High  School. 

The  Board  of  Education  has  successfully  carried  on  a  system  of  Dis- 
trict supervision,  this  work  at  first  being  done  by  Superintendent  Mc- 
Bee  as  secretary  of  the  Board  of  Education.  For  the  last  two  years  how- 
ever, Mr.  John  F.  Hughes  has  been  employed  to  give  his  entire  time  to 
this  field.  This  year  he  has  been  made  district  truant  officer  as  well, 
and  by  means  of  this  close  supervision  almost  perfect  uniformity  has 
been  secured  in  the  district  schools. 

The  present  Board  of  Education  has  instituted  and  successfully  con- 
ducted the  first  consolidated  school  in  the  State. 

We  also  take  pride  in  the  fact  that  there  is  now  a  school  library 
in  every  district  school,  save  two  only,  making  forty  three  libraries  in 
all  in  this  district. 

Altogether  the  schools  of  the  city  and  district  have  been  brought  to 
a  state  of  efficiency,  which  could  have  been  thought  possible  only  by  the 
two  master  spirits  who  wrought  together  for  its  accomplishment.  The 
public  school,  with  its  various  activities,  has  come  to  be  the  center  of 
interest  for  all  that  is  best  in  the  community;  and  each  resident  takes 
a  personal  Interest  and  pride  in  its  work  and  success. 


Marlinton  Public  Schools. 

BY  ANDREW   PRICE. 

Marlinton  has  just  completed  two  school  buildings.  The  principal 
building  is  situated  in  the  heart  of  the  town  and  is  a  two-story  brick 
structure  containing  six  class  rooms  and  a  large  chapel  or  hall.  It  has 
the  modern  appliances  in  the  way  of  water  and  heat.  The  other  building 
is  situated  a  mile  north  of  the  main  building  and  is  a  two-room  frame 
building. 

A  very  successful  school  is  in  progress,  with  the  following  teachers: 
L.  W.  Burns,  principal;  Mrs.  W.  G.  Johnston,  Miss  Sallie  W.  Wilson,  Miss 
Anna  M.  Wallace,  Miss  Lucile  Quirk  and  Miss  Mabel  Jackett. 

The  town  of  Marlinton  contains  a  population  of  about  twenty-five 
hundred  and  has  been  mainly  built  in  the  last  five  years.  As  a  town  it 
dates  from  1891,  when  the  Courthouse  was  moved  from  Huntersville  to 
Marlinton.  Prior  to  that  time  a  Postoffice  was  maintained,  but  it  was  a 
farming  community. 

The  first  school  house  built  at  this  point  was  in  the  year  1881.  This 
school  house  was  built  after  the  plans  so  dear  to  the  hearts  of  most 
Boards  of  Education  —  a  four  square  wooden  building  on  pillars  with  a 
loose  floor  and  tight  ceiling.  Much  air  could  come  in  and  little  could 
get  out.  If  possible  these  school  houses  of  the  chicken-coop  style  of 
architecture  were  placed  in  the  most  exposed  and  windy  situations; 
though  generally  the  members  of  the  Board  of  Education  would  see  that 
their  barns  were  in  sheltered  places  and  made  warm  and  healthful  for 


THE  EVOLUTION  OF  A  SCHOOL  BUILDING  AT  MARLINTON,  POCAHONTAS  COUNTY 


UNIVERSITY 

tc>4  /  . .?'        . .  bw  // 


WEST  VIRGINIA  209 

the  stock.  Anything  seemed  to  be  good  enough  for  their  children.  We 
think,  however,  that  School  Boards  are  beginning  to  realize  that  out- 
children  are  the  most  precious  of  our  belongings,  and  we  are  now  coming 
to  the  point  when  our  school  rooms  will  equal  in  comfort  and  health- 
fulness,  our  homes. 

In  the  old  school  house  some  of  the  best  teachers  of  the  county  have 
taught.  Among  them  are  Rev.  William  T.  Price,  D.  D.;  Hon.  George  W. 
McClintic,  Uriah  Bird,  M.  G.  Mathews,  George  Baxter  and  Miss  Emma 
Warwick. 

When  the  new  town  sprang  up,  much  trouble  was  experienced  in 
getting  proper  support  for  adequate  school  facilities.  Edray  District,  in 
which  the  town  is  situated,  is  more  than  three  times  as  large  as  Brooke 
County  and  has  at  this  time  taxable  property  amounting  to  four  million 
dollars,  a  fourth  of  which  is  in  the  town.  The  board  did  not  encourage 
good  schools  at  the  county  seat.  In  1905  the  Legislature  passed  a  bill 
making  the  town  an  independent  district,  which  was  unanimously  opposed 
and  voted  down  by  the  four  country  precincts.  It  was  lost  by  a  majority 
oi  43  votes. 

A  change  occurred  in  the  School  Board  at  the  beginning  of  the  year 
1906,  the  president  of  the  board  moving  to  another  district.  The  County 
Superintendent,  J.  B.  Grimes,  appointed  Andrew  Price,  a  lawyer  living 
in  Marlinton,  to  the  place.  Captain  A.  E.  Smith,  a  wealthy  lumberman 
of  Marlinton,  was  already  on  the  board,  and  the  district  had  for  the  first 
time  a  board  inclined  to  give  the  town  its  dues.  This  board,  during 
last  year,  expended  fourteen  thousand  dollars  in  improvements  in  Marlin- 
ton, having  levied  in  Edray  District  for  all  purposes  50  cents  on  the 
1100.00,  all  other  taxes  being  18^  cents  only.  Their  action  was  approved 
by  the  State  Tax  Commissioner  on  investigation  as  well  as  by  the  people 
of  the  district  at  large. 

The  school  term  has  been  extended  to  eight  months.  The  present 
school  is  very  successful  and  gives  the  greatest  satisfaction  to  the  people 
of  the  district.  From  this  time  on  it  is  to  be  believed  that  Marlinton 
will  be  proud  of  her  schools. 

In  the  good  work,  County  Superintendent  Grimes  has  been  active  and 
helpful,  and  we  are  glad  to  state  that  he  has  been  re-elected,  leading  the 
head  of  his  ticket  by  the  substantial  vote  of  147. 


Martinsburg  Public  Schools. 

BY    W.    A.    PITZER,    SECRETARY    BOARD    OF    EDUCATION. 

The  public  schools  of  Martinsburg  were  organized  in  1865,  but  were 
not  in  full  operation  as  such  until  1866,  when  a  part  of  the  "Kruzen 
property,"  located  near  the  center  of  the  city,  was  purchased  at  a  cost  of 
$7,500,  and  opened  as  a  graded  school.  Dr.  Irwin,  Mr.  W.  C.  Matthews 
and  Mr.  George  R.  Wysong  were  the  first  commissioners.  About  500 
pupils,  taught  by  a  corps  of  eight  teachers,  were  accommodated  in  the 
fcuilding.  The  primary  department,  four  grades,  occupied  the  second 


210  HISTOEY  OF  EDUCATION 

story,  which  contained  one  large  room  and  two  smaller  recitation  rooms. 
The  grammar  department,  consisting  of  three  rooms,  occupied  the  lower 
story.  As  the  population  increased,  new  houses  were  erected  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  pupils.  We  have  at  present  six  school  buildings,  as 
follows:  One  in  the  Second  Ward,  erected  at  a  cost  of  $6,900,  to  which 
annexes  were  added  in  1900  and  1906  at  a  cost  of  $5,000;  one  in  the  Third 
Ward,,  the  "Kruzen  property"  above  referred  to;  one  in  the  Fourth 
Ward,  at  a  cost  of  $5,200;  one  in  the  Fifth  Ward,  a  handsome,  modern, 
brick  building,  erected  in  1897  at  a  cost  of  about  $10,000;  a  neat  brick 
building,  Second  Ward,  for  the  colored  school;  and  the  High  School,  a 
two-story  brick  edifice  erected  in  1884  at  a  cost  of  $7,500,  pleasantly 
located  in  South  Queen  street,  and  furnished  with  heating  apna^tus  and 
other  modern  conveniences. 

By  an  act  of  the  Legislature  passed  in  1875,  Martinsburg  became 
an  independent  school  district,  since  which  time  the  schools  have  ex- 
perienced a  season  of  wonderful  growth  and  prosperity.  Thirty-one 
teachers  in  all  are  employed,  twenty-nine  white  and  two  colored.  The 
city  educated,  for  the  most  part,  its  own  teachers,  giving  in  every  instance 
the  preference  to  graduates  of  the  High  School,  thus  securing  that  unity 
of  system  and  harmony  of  action  which  are  essential  to  the  efficiency  of 
any  school. 

The  public  schools  of  Martinsburg  were  never  in  a  more  prosperous 
condition.  The  teachers  are  zealous,  industrious  and  competent;  the 
school  officers  watchful,  considerate  and  obliging,  and  the  patrons  courte- 
ous, helpful  and  intelligent. 

The  High  School  is  an  accredited  school  to  the  University  of  West 
Virginia,  and  to  the  University  of  Cincinnati,  and  its  graduates  have  in 
recent  years  entered  without  examination  Washington  and  Lee  Uni- 
versity, Woman's  College  of  Baltimore,  the  University  of  Chicago,  and 
Dickinson  College.  Under  the  able  administration  of  Superintendent 
Brindle  our  schools  have  made  marked  and  material  progress  along  all 
lines.  His  policy  is  to  retain  and  encourage  merit  and  success,  to  urge 
the  necessity  of  careful  and  continuous  improvement  and  advancement 
in  thought  and  practice,  to  stimulate  the  teachers  in  their  efforts  to  do 
better  work,  and  to  utilize  in  a  practical  way  modern  methods  of  instruc- 
tion. The  people  of  Martinsburg,  in  fact,  have  every  reason  to  feel  proud 
of  their  most  excellent  school  system,  and  to  expect  in  the  future  a  still 
greater  degree  of  advancement  and  prosperity.  No  city  in  the  State  of 
West  Virginia  affords  better  educational  facilities  than  does  the  city 
of  Martinsburg. 

A  list  of  the  superintendents  of  the  Martinsburg  public  schools  from 
July  1,  1875  to  July  1,  1907: 

David  Speer   July  1,  1875  to  July  1,  1876 

A.  Tegethoff   July  1,  1876  to  July  1,  1880 

William  Gerhardt July  1,  1880,  to  Sept.  10,  1886 

W.  G.  Hay  Sept.  10,  1886,  to  Dec.  29,  1886 

Jennie  L.  Ditto,  principal  High  School Dec.  29,  1886  to  March  14,  1886 

J.  A.  Cox  .  March  14,  1886,  to  July  1,  1894 


WEST  VIRGINIA  211 

A.  B.  Carmen   July  1,  1894,  to  July  1,  1897 

C.  H.  Cole July  1,  1«97,  (o  July  1,  1904 

G.  W.  Brindle  July  1,  1901 

BOARD  OF  EDUCATION,  1907. 

A.  T.  Russler,  President  and  Commissioner  Fourth  Ward. 
C.  A.  Young,  Commissioner  First  Ward. 
R.  K.  Siebert,  Commissioner  Second  Ward. 
J.  W.  Snowden,  Commissioner  Third  Ward. 
J.  H.  Whetzel,  Commissioner  Fifth  Ward. 

BOARD  OF  EXAMINERS,  1906  -  7. 

G.  W.  Brindle,  President. 

C.  W.  Miller  and  D.  H.  Dodd,  Associates. 


History  of  McMcchcn  School. 

BY   J.   T.    KING,   PRINCIPAL. 

In  1890  B.  B.  McMechen  laid  out  the  first  plot  of  the  Town  of  Mc- 
Mechen,  then  a  sparsely  settled  school  district  enrolling  some  eighty 
pupils.  A  two-room  frame  school  building  furnished  ample  accommoda- 
tions for  the  school  youth  at  that  time. 

The  growth  of  the  town  was  so  rapid  that  the  frame  building  became 
overcrowded  and  four  rooms  of  what  is  now  known  as  the  old  brick 
school  building  were  erected.  The  school  was  transferred  to  this  build- 
ing in  October,  1891.  Three  years  later  an  addition  of  two  rooms  was 
added  to  this  structure  to  relieve  the  crowded  condition  of  the  school. 

Some  years  after  the  district  was  divided  and  a  four-room  building 
erected  in  the  northern  portion  of  the  district  or  town. 

Since  this  time  the  Board  of  Education  provided  for  the  growth  of 
the  school  by  renting  rooms  in  different  sections  of  the  town. 

The  new  building  now  occupied  by  the  school  was  completed  Sept- 
1,  1906.  It  is  a  handsome  and  commodious  structure  containing  fifteen 
school  rooms.  The  auditorium  on  the  third  floor  has  a  seating  capacity 
of  six  hundred  and  ninety. 

The  enumeration  of  school  youth  April  1,  1906,  was  seven  hundred 
and  ninety  two,  and  the  enrollment  of  the  school  for  February,  1907,  was 
six  hundred  and  two. 

A  High  School  with  a  three-year  course  of  instruction  was  estab- 
lished September  1,  1894.  A  class  of  seven  girls  completed  the  course 
and  graduated  in  1896.  Since  that  time  a  class  has  graduated  each  year. 
The  alumni  of  the  school  now  number  forty-nine.  There  are  at  this  time 
thirty-four  pupils  enrolled  in  the  High  School. 


212  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

The  Morgantown  Schools. 

I5V   WILLIAM    II.   GALLUP,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

The  history  of  education  in  Morgantown  ii,  somewhat  unique.  From 
the  founding  of  the  town  in  1795  to  the  present  time  the  chief  interest 
of  Morgantown's  citizens  has  been  centered  in  the  cause  of  education. 
Few  towns  have  been  so  rich  in  men  and  women  of  culture  and  refinement. 
A  roster  of  her  great  names  would  be  too  long  to  publish  in  this  brief 
paper. 

Monongalia  Academy  was  established  on  the  29th  of  November,  1814, 
and  for  fifty-three  years  did  excellent  work.  Under  the  administration  of 
Rev.  J.  R.  Moore  it  experienced  its  greatest  prosperity.  Fourteen  States 
were  represented  by  the  students  upon  its  rolls  and  it  was  recognized  as 
the  very  best  of  western  academies. 

Woodburn  Seminary  was  opened  in  1858  and  from  the  first  was  very 
successful.  The  trustees  of  Woodburn  were  ever  interested  in  advancing 
the  cause  of  learning  and  in  18G7  offered  the  State  their  entire  plant  and 
money  amounting  to  $50,000,  if  the  Agricultural  College  should  be  located 
on  the  site  of  Woodburn.  The  State  accepted  ttie  offer  and  West  Virginia 
University  was  established  at  Morgantown. 

On  the  22nd  of  December,  1838,  the  trustees  of  Monongalia  Academy, 
which  educated  males  only,  petitioned  the  Legislature  to  grant  a  charter 
for  an  institution  to  be  called  Morgantown  Female  Academy.  The  petition 
was  granted  and  the  institution  was  later  known  as  Whitehall  Female 
Seminary,  on  account  of  the  buildings  being  painted  white.  This  institu- 
tion was  successfully  conducted  until  sold  in  June,  18C9 

Morgantown  Female  Seminary  was  another  educational  institution 
that  opened  its  doors  to  ambitious  girls  in  1856.  For  years  it  did  excel- 
lent service,  but  after  the  State  University  admitted  girls  there  seemed 
no  longer  a  need  for  an  exclusively  woman's  school. 

Old  Monongalia  Academy  was  purchased  from  the  trustees  of  the  Ag- 
ricultural College  in  18G8  for  public  school  purposes  for  $13,000.  This 
building  continued  to  be  occupied  by  the  public  schools  until  it  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire  in  1897. 

The  first  principal,  Mr.  Adam  Staggers,  had  two  assistant  teachers. 
Mr.  Alexander  L.  Wade  was  the  next  principal  and  gave  the  schools  his 
enthusiastic  service.  Mr.  Henry  L.  Cox,  the  next  principal,  was  given 
three  assistants  and  under  his  efficient  leadership  the  schools  made 
excellent  progress.  After  a  few  years  Mr.  Cox  resigned  and  the  adminis- 
tration of  the  schools  passed  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Benjamin  S.  Morgan, 
who  proved  a  worthy  successor  to  the  able  men  who  preceded  him.  Five 
teachers  were  now  employed. 

Professor  Thos.  E.  Hodges  was  the  next  principal.  He  reorganized 
the  school  thoroughly,  extended  the  course  of  study  and  had  the  honor 
of  graduating  the  first  class  from  the  high  school.  Prof.  Hodges  had  six  as- 
sistants. 

Mr.  Nacy  McGee  Waters  succeeded  Prof.  Hodges.  Mr.  Waters  was 
an  untiring  worker,  enterprising  and  scholarly. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  213 

Frank  Snyder  followed  Mr.  Waters  and  six  teachers  were  employed 
as  assistants.  The  school  continued  to  prosper. 

Harvey  Brand,  the  next  principal  served  for  seven  years  as  principal 
and  for  one  year  as  superintendent.  The  number  of  teachers  increased 
from  year  to  year  till  twelve  teachers  were  hired.  Mr.  Brand  was  active 
and  earnest  in  his  efforts  to  keep  the  Morgantown  schools  in  the  front 
ranks.  The  destruction  of  the  school  building  and  the  consequent  disad- 
vantages of  having  the  pupils  scattered  about  town  in  unsuitable  rooms 
made  the  duties  of  the  superintendent  very  arduous  for  the  last  two  years 
of  his  term.  With  the  opening  of  the  new  building  in  September,  1899, 
William  H.  Gallup  took  charge  of  the  schools.  The  high  school  course 
was  increased  to  four  years  by  the  addition  of  new  studies. 

The  presence  of  the  preparatory  school  of  the  State  University  has 
made  it  difficult  to  build  up  the  high  school.  However,  some  progress 
has  been  made.  From  considerably  less  than  a  dozen  pupils  the  enroll- 
ment has  grown  to  one  hundred  and  sixteen.  The  senior  class  of  1907 
numbers  nine  boys  and  nine  girls.  Four  high  school  teachers  devote 
their  entire  time  to  teaching.  The  teaching  force  of  the  school  now 
(1907)  numbers  twenty-nine  and  by  another  year  thirty-six  should  be 
employed. 

The  Central  building  with  its  furnishings  cost  about  $65,000.  It  is 
admirably  adapted  to  public  school  purposes.  The  Fourth  Ward  school 
building  was  completed  in  1903  at  a  cost  of  $20,000.  Two  small  build- 
ings were  erected  in  1906  but  the  growth  of  the  town  has  been  so  great 
that  the  school  rooms  are  badly  crowded. 

From  the  installation  of  the  public  school  to  the  present  day  Morgan- 
town  has  been  fortunate  in  its  school  boards.  Men  of  the  highest  social 
and  professional  standing  have  given  their  untiring  devotion  to  the  in- 
terests of  the  schools.  Conspicuous  among  these  men  were  Col.  A.  Fair- 
child,  who  served  on  the  board  for  twenty-eight  years,  and  Mr.  Thornton 
Pickenpaugh,  whose  term  of  office  was  nearly  as  long.  Nothing  else  is  so 
helpful  to  the  cause  of  public  school  advancement  as  the  earnest  super- 
vision of  intelligent  school  boards. 


New  Cumberland. 

BY   SUPERINTENDENT   C.   W.   FRETZ. 

Up  to  his  death  in  1906,  New  Cumberland  was  the  residence  of  Hon. 
John  H.  Atkinson,  author  of  the  first  West  Virginia  public  school  law. 
Naturally  he  was  a  leader  in  the  educational  affairs  at  his  own  home. 
In  1871  the  main  school  building  was  constructed.  It  is  related  that  some 
taxpayers  were  so  much  opposed  to  progressive  measures  of  this  sort,  that 
they  sold  their  property  and  invested  in  the  West.  Losing  all  there, 
some  at  least,  returned  to  work  for  their  daily  bread,  on  the  very  build- 
ing, which  they  had  so  bitterly  opposed. 

In  1883   the  North  and   South   wings  were  added.     H.  C.   Shepherd 


214  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

was  the  first  principal,  with  three  assistants.  In  1877  Will  B.  Swearingen, 
now  of  Pueblo,  Colorado,  was  elected  with  five  assistants.  Present  Sen- 
ator Oliver  S.  Marshall  came  next.  His  successor  was  W.  J.  Huff,  now 
deceased.  R.  H.  Jackson,  now  a  prominent  attorney  of  Pittsburg  suc- 
ceeded him.  Next  in  order  were  E.  D.  Haines  and  Van  Bernard. 

In  1889  W.  H.  Gallup,  now  Superintendent  at  Morgantown,  took  the 
reins  and  directed  affairs  with  ability  during  the  next  ten  years,  1889- 
1899.  He  was  ably  followed  by  W.  M.  Henderson,  now  head  of  the  Mounds- 
ville  schools.  S.  C.  Durbin,  a  graduate  of  Ohio  State  University  came 
next,  but  entered  Harvard  after  one  year  of  service.  He  is  now  at 
Culver  Military  Academy,  Indiana.  The  present  Superintendent,  C.  W. 
Fretz  is  closing  his  third  year  of  service.  For  more  tahn  a  decade  the 
high  school  principal  has  been  a  graduate  of  a  prominent  college.  Miss 
Faye  Bennett,  of  Dennsion  University  holds  that  position  now. 

During  the  entire  history  of  the  Board  of  Education  there  have  been 
but  three  secretaries,  M.  M.  Cullen,  George  Lambert  and  C.  S.  Bradley. 
M.  N.  Price  is  president  of  the  board,  with  Col.  J.  A.  Smith  and  B.  J. 
Dornan  as  commissioners.  Eleven  teachers  are  needed  to  supply  the 
school,  which  is  on  the  accredited  list  of  the  State  University.  The 
school  possesses  a  well  selected  library  of  a  thousand  volumes. 

For  twelve  years  the  custodian,  A.  R.  Wright,  has  aimed  to  make  the 
building  wholesome  and  attractive  on  the  interior  and  to  beautify  the  sur- 
roundings. As  a  direct  result  of  the  liberal  use  of  such  old-fashioned 
means  as  soap,  water,  carbolic-acid,  sulphur,  and  "elbow  grease."  New 
Cumberland  has  practically  escaped  the  epidemics  of  contagious  disease, 
that  have  ravaged  some  neighboring  places.  The  writer  can  vouch  for  the 
statement  that  during  the  past  three  years  at  least,  no  case  of  contagion 
has  been  spread  through  the  school; 


History  of  the  New  Martins ville  Schools. 

BY    P.    Y.    DEBQLT,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

The  year  1879  will  ever  be  held  sacred  by  the  people  of  New  Martins- 
ville,  as  it  marked  the  beginning  of  the  educational  life  of  the  com- 
munity. A  few  years  previous  to  this  time,  the  Legislature  authorized 
the  establishment  of  a  High  School  for  Magnolia  district,  this  county; 
said  school  to  be  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  all  higher  grade  pupils 
throughout  the  district. 

By  reference  to  early  records,  we  find,  that  prior  to  the  year  1877, 
the  boards  of  education  were  composed  mostly  of  out-of-town  members. 
This  being  true,  the  interests  of  education  in  the  town  were  sadly  neg- 
lected. The  schools  here,  were  put  on  the  same  basis  as  those  in  the 
country.  The  people  of  the  town  very  naturally  rose  up  in  rebellion,  and 
in  1877  the  differences  wen*  settled  by  a  contest  of  votes,  which  resulted 
in  a  victory  for  the  townspeople.  A  board  of  education  was  elected  who 
favored  better  school  facilities  for  the  rapidly  growing  little  town.  At 


WEST  VIRGINIA  215 

the  above  named  election,  the  following  men  were  chosen  members  of 
the  Board  of  Education:  William  McG.  Hall,  President;  Levi  Tucker  and 
Felix  Abersole,  Commissioners. 

These  men  set  about  immediately  to  better  the  conditions  of  the 
schools  in  New  Martinsville.  They  organized  graded  schools,  drafted  a 
course  of  study,  with  rules  and  regulations  therefor;  they  increased  the 
wages  of  the  principal  and  a  part  of  the  teachers.  The  schools  worked 
under  these  conditions  until  1880. 

The  board's  term  of  office  having  expired,  another  election  was  held 
in  the  fall  of  1879,  at  which  time  the  following  men  were  chosen  to  rep- 
resent the  interests  of  education:  William  McG.  Hall,  President;  Levi 
Tucker,  Felix  Abersole,  P.  Rothlesberger  and  J.  B.  Burch. 

The  new  board  began  at  once  to  lay  plans  for  the  establishment  of  a 
High  School,  and  to  prepare  for  the  erection  of  a  suitable  building,  as  the 
one  then  in  use  was  quite  inadequate  to  the  growing  demands  of  the 
town.  The  first  step  taken,  was  to  purchase  a  suitable  location.  After 
some  weeks  of  deliberation,  the  present  school  site  was  purchased. 

After  the  location  for  the  building  had  been  secured,  the  board  saw 
that  the  school  funds  were  somewhat  limited,  yet,  with  the  increased  levy 
authorized  by  the  election  of  1879,  they  saw  their  way  clear  to  take  fur- 
ther steps  in  the  work.  They  laid  the  levy  to  the  utmost  limit  of  the 
building  and  High  School  funds,  then  by  skillful  management  accumulated 
money  in  advance.  In  the  spring  of  1880,  through  the  aid  of  the  worthy 
State  Superintendent,  W.  K.  Pendleton,  plans  were  adopted  and  the  erec- 
tion of  a  school  building  begun.  Again,  owing  to  shortage  of  funds,  the 
work  of  construction  was  delayed,  and  the  building  was  not  completed 
until  sometime  during  the  summer  of  1881.  On  this  account  the  town 
was  without  a  full  term  of  school  during  the  winter  of  1880-1. 

Prof.  D.  T.  Williams,  now  principal  of  Madison  school,  Wheeling,  was 
chosen  the  first  principal  of  the  new  High  School ;  but  owing  to  the  fact 
that  the  building  was  not  completed,  and  that  a  call  came  from  another 
place,  he  resigned  the  position  here  for  the  other  work. 

In  the  fall  of  1881,  Mr.  A.  F.  Wilmoth,  of  Randolph  County  was 
chosen  principal.  He  organized  the  school,  and  worked  by  the  plan  ar- 
ranged by  the  first  Board  of  Education.  He  was  ably  assisted  in  his 
work  by  a  corps  of  five  teachers.  Being  dissatisfied  with  the  course  of 
study  as  previously  planned,  Mr.  Wilmoth  began  the  construction  of  a 
course  of  study,  having  in  mind  the  regular  graduation  of  pupils.  This 
work  was  completed  at  the  end  of  the  term,  and  instituted  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  next  term.  It  provided  for  three  years  of  work  in  the  gram- 
mar school,  and  three  in  the  High  School.  When  the  pupils  had  completed 
this  course,  they  were  awarded  diplomas  of  graduation.  It  took  some 
years  to  bring  the  school  up  to  the  standard  desired.  The  first  class 
graduated  in  1893,  and  since  that  time,  classes  have  been  regularly  grad- 
uated . 

The  town  continued  to  grow  very  rapidly,  and  was  fast  becoming  a 
thriving  little  city.  The  increase  in  population,  also  ^brought  about  an 
increase  in  the  school  population.  So  rapidly  were  the  schools  filling  up, 


216  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

that  the  building  became  inadequate  to  the  demand,  and  plans  were  made 
for  the  erection  of  a  new  and  more  modern  building.  In  the  early  spring 
of  1901,  the  old  building  was  torn  down,  and  the  ground  broken  for 
the  foundation  of  the  present  building.  The  corner-stone  was  Kid  on 
July  18,  1901,  and  the  building  completed  in  the  early  summer  of  1902. 
This  is  a  well  planned  and  commodious  school  building  and  one  of  which 
the  people  are  justly  proud.  On  the  first  floor  are  eight  class  rooms  and  the 
principal's  office;  three  stairways  lead  to  the  second  floor,  which  contains 
eight  class  rooms,  a  library  room  and  the  physical  laboratory;  on  the  third 
floor  is  a  neat  little  auditorium  with  a  seating  capacity  of  about  seven  hun- 
dred. 

During  the  year  1905-06,  the  superintendent,  Mr.  B.  G.  Moore,  set 
about  to  strengthen  the  High  School  course  by  adding  another  year  there- 
to, thus  bringing  our  schools  up  to  the  level  with  others  of  the  state.  The 
present  incumbent  has  finished  the  work  begun  by  Mr.  Moore,  and  now 
a  four-year  course  is  in  full  operation.  Owing  to  the  change  thus  made 
in  the  course  of  study,  no  class  will  be  graduated  at  the  close  of  the  pres- 
ent term.  There  are  three  young  ladies  and  two  young  gentlemen  in  the 
class  of  1908. 

Since  this  is  a  district  High  School,  many  boys  and  girls  from  the 
country  avail  themselves  of  the  opportunity  of  obtaining  an  education 
within  its  walls.  The  early  prejudices  have  all  been  laid  aside,  and 
there  is  now  no  opposition  to  the  High  School. 

The  following  persons,  many  of  whom  are  prominent  in  our  State, 
have  served  in  the  capacity  of  principal  of  the  school:  A.  F.  Wilmoth,  S. 
Bruce  Hall,  S.  W.  Martin,  F.  Burley,  E.  E.  Umstead,  J.  N.  VanCamp, 
W.  W.  Cline,  J.  M.  Skinner,  D.  W.  Shields,  B.  H.  Hall,  W.  J.  Postlethwait, 
1900-02;  B.  G.  Moore,  1902-06;  P.  Y.  DeBolt,  1906 . 

The  present  Board  of  Education  is  composed  of  the  following  named 
gentlemen:  E.  B.  Snodgrass,  President;  Jacob  J.  Rothlesberger,  Joshua 
R.  Thorn,  Commissioners;  and  Leslie  J.  Williams,  Secretary. 


Piedmont  Public  Schools. 

BY    W.   H.   WAYT,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

The  town  of  Piedmont  was  founded  about  the  year  1850,  springing 
up  very  quickly  after  the  arrival  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad. 
There  were,  of  course,  no  free  schools  in  either  Allegheny  county,  Mary- 
land, or  in  Hampshire  county,  Virginia,  in  which  Piedmont,  lay.  Mrs. 
Jessie  Bickford  started  a  private  school  in  her  own  home  in  1852,  but 
it  could  not  stand  the  competition  of  the  larger  school  of  Mr.  Warren 
across  the  river,  and  was  soon  discontinued.  There  was  no  other  school 
of  any  permanence  until  1856,  when  Miss  Annie  Ambrose,  of  New  Ham- 
shire,  opened  a  school  in  the  home  of  her  aunt,  Mrs.  Bickford,  a  house 
then  standing  on  the  corner,  but  now  back  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  The  superiority  of  her  methods,  and  those  of  Dr.  Connor,  a 


SHEPHEBDSTOWN  GRADED  SCHOOL  LIBRARY  AND  READING  ROOM. 


HIGH  SCHOOL,  KEYSEB. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  217 

graduate  of  Dickinson  College,  who  started  a  school  for  higher  studies 
in  Westernport  about  1858  or  1859,  sounded  the  knell  of  the  "old  field" 
schoolmasters,  who  had  so  long  held  sway.  As  an  instance  of  her  su- 
periority to  the  old  regime  it  may  be  mentioned  that  Miss  Ambrose 
brought  the  best  and  latest  text-books  to  be  hadz  and  especially  that  she 
brought  the  first  primary  books  ever  introduced  into  the  community.  Mr. 
Nathaniel  Ambrose  folowed  his  sister  in  the  school  begun  by  her,  and  some 
persons  so  much  appreciated  the  opportunity  then  offered  as  to  take  up 
some  such  higher  work  as  Latin  and  algebra.  A  great  many  persons 
either  could  not  or  would  not  send  their  children  to  the  private  schools 
just  referred  to;  the  result  was  that  the  attention  of  the  teachers  was 
concentrated  upon  a  few  children  and  these  received  really  excellent  in- 
struction. 

The  influence  of  the  Civil  War  worked  in  various  ways  to  break  up 
the  private  schools,  and  the  history  of  education  throughout  that  stormy 
period  is  almost  a  blank.  Mr.  O'Gorman  taught  about  this  time,  in  a 
school  held  in  a  basement  of  the  old  Presbyterian  church  that  once  stood 
where  the  Davis  Free  School  now  stands.  A  Miss  Mary  Jarbo — after- 
wards Mrs.  Carless — taught  on  Piedmont  hill,  although  the  dates  of  this 
are  lacking.  Even  information  concerning  the  establishment  of  the 
public  schools,  and  their  history  up  to  a  comparatively  recent  time,  can- 
not be  found  in  any  accurate  or  well-authenticated  form;  for  the  official 
records  have  been  lost. 

Mineral  county  was  formed  late  in  the  sixties.  Mr.  Thomas  P.  Adams 
was  elected  as  the  first  County  Superintendent  of  Free  Schools.  He  ap- 
pointed Boards  of  Education  in  the  various  districts.  Their  task  was 
a  hard  one.  There  were  neither  school  houses  nor  school  districts,  nor 
money,  nor  teachers,  nor  books.  There  was  no  great  sentiment  in  favor 
of  free,  schools,  but  there  was  a  great  deal  of  sentiment  against  them. 
For  Piedmont  District,  which  was  at  that  time  called  Mt.  Carbon  Dis- 
trict, it  seems  that  the  first  Board  of  Education  appointed  by  Mr.  Adams 
was  as  follows:  Wm.  Right,  President;  Emil  Nefflin,  K.  S.  Jones,  J.  T. 
Blakiston,  Jas.  A.  Burris,  all  of  whom  were  good  friends  to  popular  ed- 
ucation. Mr.  Nefflin  later  became  president  of  the  board  and  served  from 
his  appointment  in  18G8  until  1893 — in  all  twenty-five  years. 

One  of  the  first  schools  after  the  war  was  in  a  building  originally  a 
market  house,  standing  where  the  town  hall  now  stands,  which  was  re- 
modeled into  a  school  house,  and  in  which  Mr.  N.  M.  Ambrose  was 
principal  and  Mrs.  Jennie  Nesbit  was  assistant.  The  cause  of  free  edu- 
cation grew  in  influence  and  strength;  but  even  the  names  of  principals, 
teachers,  and  members  of  the  Board  of  Education,  who  by  their  labors 
contributed  to  this  growth,  are  in  a  great  many  instances — owing  to  the 
loss  of  records  above  referred  to — no  longer  to  be  found.  In  1871  Mr. 
Nefflin  was  able  to  secure  an  allotment  of  $300  from  the  Peabody  Fund, 
which  was  allowed  annually  thereafter  until  the  fund  was  diverted  to 
the  support  of  the  State  University  and  other  uses  by  act  of  the  Legisla- 
ture. It  seems  that  this  was  the  only  district  of  the  county  that  was  ever 
able  to  secure  this  Peabody  grant. 

Mr.  Wm.  O'Gorman  referred  to  above  was  one  of  the  early  principals 


213  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

of  the  public  schools.  He  also  taught  the  Beryl  school  for  a  long  while. 
Miss  Lizzie  Russell,  who  taught  in  both  public  and  private  schools,  is 
worthy  to  be  mentioned  here  by  virtue  of  her  later  career.  She  became 
a  missionary  in  Japan,  and  founded  there  a  girls'  school,  which  later 
developed  into  a  college  with  branches  over  the  kingdom.  May,  Wilson, 
Van  Horn,  and  Purinton,  are  the  names  of  persons  who  were  principals 
of  the  public  schools  at  different  times  during  the  seventies.  From  1883 
till  1887  the  position  was  held  by  Mr.  John  Newlon,  now  of  Pruntytown. 
Mr.  David  Arnold,  now  of  Elk  Garden,  followed  and  held  the  place  one 
year.  Mr.  D.  W.  Shields,  from  Ohio,  held  the  position  one  year  also,  go- 
ing from  here  to  Keyser,  where  he  remained  some  years.  Mr.  R.  M. 
Collins  was  next  principal  (1889-1891).  He  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  W.  M. 
Foulk,  whose  administration  of  the  affairs  of  the  school  was  for  many 
reasons  a  notable  one.  He  held  the  position  for  twelve  years,  only  re- 
signing it  to  take  up  another  responsible  and  more  remunerative  position. 
He  is  now  the  efficient  Superintendent  of  the  Huntington  Schools.  C.  R. 
Murray  of  Ohio,  proved  himself  a  worthy  successor  to  Mr.  Foulk.  Mr. 
Murray  resigned  in  1905  to  accept  a  more  lucrative  position  as  Principal 
of  the  Williamson  Schools. 

The  names  of  what  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  Board  of  Education 
have  been  given  already.  The  presidents  of  the  board,  besides  the  two 
there  named,  have  been  P.  S.  Hyde,  J.  C.  Kuhnly,  H.  C.  Thrush,  and  D. 
E.  Parke,  the  latter  of  whom  together  with  Judge  John  H.  Keller  and 
Elza  Newcome  constitute  the  Board  of  Education  at  present.  Among  the 
many  citizens  who  have  served  on  the  Board  Mr.  Henry  Right  is  deserv- 
ing of  mention  for  long  and  honerable  service.  The  present  secretary  is 
J.  T.  Parke.  The  present  high  standing  and  splendid  condition  of  the 
schools  bear  ample  testimony  to  the  fact  that  the  District  has  had  ex- 
cellent men  on  the  Board  of  Education;  and  the  present  board,  to  those 
who  are  acquainted  with  it,  needs  no  commendation  on  the  score  of  faith- 
ful, diligent,  and  enlightened  devotion  to  the  interest  of  the  public  schools. 

The  building  referred  to  before  and  sometimes  known  as  the  Fred- 
lock  school,  was  for  many  years  the  principal  school  house,  another 
school  of  two  or  three  rooms  called  the  Adjunct  school  stood  on  the 
west  corner  opposite  where  the  Davis  School  now  stands.  In  1883  the 
Hill  School  was  built  for  persons  living  in  that  part  of  the  town  and  the 
Adjunct  school  was  soon  discontinued.  The  Hill  School  is  now  known 
as  the  Howard  School  and  is  used  to  accommodate  the  colored  children. 
The  Beryl  School  is  in  the  same  system  as  the  Piedmont  schools,  all  be- 
ing under  the  control  of  the  Board  of  Education  of  Piedmont  District. 
The  building  has  three  rooms  and  was  erected  about  1892,  the  previous 
building  having  been  destroyed  by  fire. 

One  of  the  most  notable  things  in  the  educational  history  of  Pied- 
mont was  the  gift  of  the  Davis  Free  School  building,  in  1890,  Ex-United 
States  Senator  Henry  G.  Davis,  who  had  lived  and  done  business  in  the 
town  for  twenty-five  or  thirty  years,  seeing  the  need  of  better  education- 
al facilities  and  realizing  that  the  town  was  not  in  a  good  condition  to 
raise  the  money  by  taxation,  built  and  gave  to  the  town  the  fine  struc- 


WEST  VIRGINIA  219 

ture  that  bears  his  name,  thus  giving  lasting  evidence  of  his  generosity 
and  his  interest  in  the  cause  of  popular  education. 

Since  then  the  schools  have  moved  to  a  constantly  higher  standard 
of  usefulness.  One  of  the  things  accomplished  was  the  establishment  of 
the  nine  months  term.  Another  was  the  formation  of  a  four  years  high 
school  course.  In  1905  all  schools  in  the  Piedmont  Magisterial  District, 
viz.  Davis  Free  School,  Beryl  School,  Hampshire  School,  and  the  Howard 
school,  were  placed  under  the  management  of  a  Superintendent.  Except- 
ing the  Howard  school,  all  the  schools  have  been  graded  on  the  same 
basis  and  have  the  same  course  of  study,  which  covers  nine  years.  Pupils 
who  complete  this  course  are  graduated  from  the  gramtoiar  school  and 
are  admitted  without  examination  to  the  Piedmont  High  School. 

The  first  commencement  of  the  High  School  was  held  in  1892,  since 
then  twenty  young  men  and  fifty  young  ladies  have  finished  its  course 
and  have  gone  out  to  take  positions  of  usefulness  in  active  life.  By  a 
constant  strengthening  of  the  course  of  study  the  High  School  has  been 
raised  to  the  rank  of  an  accredited  school  at  the  State  University,  which 
is  one  of  the  best  possible  evidences  of  the  strength  and  thoroughness  of 
its  courses  and  instruction. 

Many  of  the  teachers  have  done  long  service  and  all  have  been  faith- 
ful and  efficient.  Each  one  is  without  doubt  working  with  his  fullest 
powers  for  the  advancement  of  the  pupils,  and  the  interest  of  the  schools 
and  the  town  at  large.  It  is  among  the  present  aims  in  the  management 
of  the  Davis  Free  School  to  provide  it  with  adequate  library  facilities. 
The  movement  has  been  but  lately  begun,  but  it  has  the  cordial  sup- 
port of  the  teachers,  the  school  authorities,  and  the  citizens  of  the  town  in 
general,  and  bids  fair  to  be  very  successful. 

There  are  two  hundred  and  sixty-six  pupils  enrolled  in  the  Davis  Free 
School  at  present;  one  hundred  and  thirty-nine  in  the  Beryl  School; 
twenty-five  in  Hampshire  school,  and  ninety-four  in  the  Howard  (colored) 
school. 


History  of  the  Point  Pleasant  School. 

BY    MISSES    STEINBACH    AND    MCCULLOCH. 

When  a  town  was  laid  off  at  the  Junction  of  the  Ohio  and  Great  Ka- 
nawha  rivers,  a  lot  was  given  by  Thomas  Lewis  as  a  site  for  a  school 
building.  On  this  lot,  the  present  location  of  Langston  School,  (colored), 
a  small  log  building  was  erected  which  was  used  as  a  school  and  church. 
A  frame  building  replaced  this  at  a  later  date.  In  1848  a  subscription 
was  raised  among  the  citizens  of  the  town  to  build  a  better  school  house 
on  the  same  lot.  This  movement  resulted  in  the  erection  of  a  brick  struc- 
ture of  two  rooms,  to  which  two  more  were  later  added.  In  1865,  when 
the  public  school  system  was  established  in  West  Virginia,  this  subscrip- 
tion school  became  one  of  the  district  schools  of  Mason  County. 

By  an  act  of  the  Legislature,  dated  February  24,  1887,  the  Independ- 
ent School  District  of  Point  Pleasant  was  created  out  of  a  part  of  Lewis 


220  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

District.  To  meet  the  needs  of  a  growing  population,  two  smaller  school 
buildings  were  erected  in  the  suburbs  of  the  town.  These  schools  were 
discontinued  in  1890,  when  a  progressive  board  of  education,  composed  of 
Col.  H.  R.  Howard,  Mr.  G.  W.  Tippett,  and  Capt  W.  H.  Howard,  opened 
to  all  the  white  children  of  Point  Pleasant  the  present  school  building 
of  eight  rooms,  library,  office,  and  an  extra  recitation  room  for 
the  High  School.  The  building  is  provided  with  the  exhaust  system 
of  hot  air  heating.  In  1897  the  nucleus  of  a  library  was  secured  and 
since  1904  the  library,  through  the  energy  of  the  present  superintendent 
and  principal  and  recent  boards  of  education,  has  been  increased  to  over 
500  carefully  selected  volumes.  The  books  are  arranged  in  sectional  book- 
cases and  a  record  of  their  use  in  kept  by  means  of  a  card  system.  The 
office  is  equipped  with  a  card  system  for  keeping  records  of  the  work  of 
both  pupils  and  teachers,  and  with  such  modern  conveniences  as  electric 
lights,  telephone,  type-writer  and  duplicator.  Within  recent  years  the 
walls  of  the  school  building  have  been  tinted,  frescoed,  and  adorned  with 
a  few  choice  pictures,  while  the  grounds  have  been  improved  and  beauti- 
fied with  ivy,  trees,  and  beds  of  flowers.  Within  the  past  year  an  osage 
hedge  has  been  planted,  and  imposing  steps  and  broad  walks  have  been 
constructed  of  re-enforced  concrete. 

At  an  early  date  in  the  history  of  the  schools  provisions  were  made 
for  a  high-school,  but  the  organization  was  not  perfected  until  1890.  The 
first  class  was  graduated  in  1892.  Since  that  time  there  have  been  77  boys 
and  girls  graduated  from  the  High  School.  In  1897  the  High  School 
course  was  re-arranged  and  improved  by  the  addition  of  one  year's  work. 
In  the  same  year  the  entire  school  was  regraded,  and  at  present  the 
course  includes  12  years  of  work;  two  primary,  four  intermediate,  two 
grammar,  and  four  high  school.  The  schools  are  progressive  and  improv- 
ing. Within  the  last  few  years  the  graduates  of  the  High  School  have 
been  admitted  to  West  Point,  and  with  slight  conditions,  to  the  freshman 
class  of  the  State  University. 

The  teachers  are  interested  in  their  work  and  are  ambitious  to  im- 
prove the  conditions  of  the  schools.  They  are  pursuing  the  Teachers' 
Reading  Course  prescribed  by  State  Superintendent  Miller,  and  avail 
themselves  of  the  special  teachers'  library  of  about  thirty  volumes  which 
the  present  progressive  Board  of  Education  has  provided  for  their  use. 

For  the  following  list  of  principals  we  are  indebted  to  Miss  L.  A. 
Gilmore,  who  has  devoted  her  life  to  the  work  of  education  in  Point 
Pleasant 

Point  Pleasant  Public  School — organized  in  September,  1865. 

Principal  during  the  term  of: 

1865-66,  Mr.  A.  Stevens. 

1866  -  07,  Mr.  Haight. 

1867-68,  Mr.  A.  Stevens. 

1868  -  70,  Mr.  D.  P.  Guthrie. 

1870-73,  Mr.  W.  J.  Kenney. 

1873-74,  Mr.  D.  P.  Guthrie. 

1874  -  75,  Mr.  H.  G.  Nease. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  221 


1875-77,  Mr.  W.  J.  Kenney. 

1877  -  78,  Rev.  W.  E.  Hill. 

1878  -  80,  Mr.  W.  J.  Kenney. 
1880  -  81,  Mr.  R.  E.  Mitchell. 
1881-84,  Mr.  W.  J.  Kenney. 
1884-87,  Mr.  J.  E.  Seller. 
1887-95,  Mr.  W.  J.  Kenney. 
1895-97,  Mr.  M.  Bowers. 
1897-02,  Mr.  R.  A.  Riggs. 
1902-03,  Mr.  L.  S.  Echols. 

1903  -  07,  Mr.   Peter   H.    Steenbergen. 


The  Ravenswood  Schools. 

BY   W.    L.   MCCOWAN,   PRINCIPAL. 

Before  the  Free  School  System  was  authorized  by  the  Legislature 
of  West  Virginia,  the  schools  of  Ravenswood  were  subscription  schools. 
The  first  school  house  within  the  present  corporate  limits  of  the  town  was 
a  log  cabin  erected  early  in  the  40's  by  Ephriam  Wells.  In  this  the  youth 
of  Ravenswood  were  instructed  until  the  accommodations  were  inadequate. 
New  quarters  were  then  secured  in  the  Old  Institute,  a  building  used  for 
a  town  hall  and  religious  purposes,  which  stood  opposite  the  Baltimore 
and  Ohio  railroad  depot.  This  school  prospered  for  many  years  and  de- 
veloped educational  thought  and  sentiment  in  the  town. 

In  1858  W.  P.  Harmon,  of  New  York,  came  to  Ravenswood.  Seeing 
the  interest  taken  in  education,  he  built  an  academy.  This  school,  known 
as  Union  Academy,  opened  with  two  teachers  in  1859.  At  the  breaking 
out  of  the  Civil  War,  Mr.  Harmon  enlisted  as  a  soldier,  but  his  Academy 
flourished  until  after  the  war. 

When  the  Free  School  System  was  authorized  in  1864,  Ravenswood 
was  in  Gilmore  township.  The  Board  of  Education  of  this  township 
purchased  the  Academy  building  from  Mr.  Harmon,  and,  in  1864,  opened 
the  first  free  school  in  the  town.  From  this  time  until  1887,  the  Academy 
was  used  as  a  free  school. 

By  an  act  of  the  Legislature  of  West  Virginia  in  1870,  the  town  of 
Ravenswood  and  the  tract  of  two  thousand  four  hundred  and  forty  acres 
of  land  granted  to  George  Washington,  on  which  the  town  is  located, 
was  made  an  independent  school  district.  With  the  advantages  of  an  in- 
dependent district,  Ravenswood  made  rapid  strides  along  educational 
lines. 

As  the  population  increased,  the  old  Academy  building  became  in- 
adaquate  for  the  number  of  pupils,  and  a  levy  was  begun  early  in  the 
80's  looking  towards  the  erection  of  a  new  school  building.  In  1887  the 
present  artistic  and  commodious  building  of  which  Ravenswood  is  justly 
proud  was  erected.  The  School  Board  was  then  composed  of  G.  W.  Long, 
E.  W.  Brown  and  J.  F.  Stone.  E.  W.  Wells,  of  Wheeling,  was  the  archi- 


222  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

tect.  The  building  alone  cost  $13,700.  The  school  property,  including 
grounds,  buildings,  furniture,  heaters,  etc.,  cost  the  district  about  $20,000. 

In  1887,  school  was  opened  in  the  new  building,  the  old  Academy 
having  been  sold.  Since  the  erection  of  the  new  building,  the  following 
principals  have  been  in  charge:  C.  E.  Keys  with  three  assistants,  1887; 
Cora  Manuel  with  five  assistants,  1888-9;  J.  W.  Watson  with  five  assist- 
ants, 1890;  L.  W.  Philson  with  six  assistants,  1891;  W.  L.  McCowan  with 
six,  seven  and  eight  assistants,  1892-1900;  C.  H.  Ebers  with  eight  assist- 
ants, 1901-1905;  W.  L.  McCowan  with  eight  assistants,  1905. 

In  1890  the  Board  of  Education  adopted  a  graded  course  of  study  for 
the  Ravenswood  scnools,  concluding  with  a  two  years  High  School  course. 
In  1898  the  High  School  course  was  developed  under  the  administration 
of  Principal  W.  L.  McCowan.  During  his  administration  the  standard 
of  the  schools  was  raised  and  their  influence  extended: 

In  1901  Principal  McCowan  resigned  and  C.  H.  Ebers,  a  graduate 
of  the  State  University,  was  elected  his  successor.  Under  his  administra- 
tion the  course  of  study  was  again  revised.  The  entire  course  now  covers 
a  period  of  twelve  years;  concluding  with  four  years  high  school  work. 
This  course  is  practical  and  thorough.  It  compares  favorably  with  the 
best  schools  in  the  State.  The  high  standard  of  the  Ravenswood  schools 
is  the  means  of  bringing  many  influential  families  to  Ravenswood  to  re- 
ceive the  advantage  of  her  school  system.  The  High  School  course  is 
strengthened  in  some  parts  every  year.  The  subjects  of  study  are  so 
graded  and  corrected  that  the  work  in  each  grade  prepares  the  student 
to  do  that  in  the  next  higher.  Thorough  work  is  required  in  order 
that  the  standard  for  the  high  school  subjects  may  be  attained.  The 
Ravenswood  High  School,  when  its  present  course  is  worked  out  in 
detail,  will  admit  those  who  complete  it  to  the  freshman  class  of  the 
State  University.  Since  the  adoption  of  the  High  School  course  over 
50  young  men  and  women  have  finished  the  course  and  are  now  filling 
responsible  and  useful  positions  in  society. 

The  High  School  is  a  benefit  to  the  town  in  many  ways.  It  is  the 
most  democratic  of  all  institutions.  It  offers  to  the  poor  and  rich  on 
equal  terms  a  culture  which  will  adorn  and  ennoble  any  situation  in 
life.  Besides,  the  High  School  gives  tone  and  efficiency  to  the  lower 
grades  and  offers  that  inspiration  which  is  needed  to  retain  pupils  in 
school.  Finally,  the  teaching  force  in  a  graded  system  of  public  instruc- 
tion is  most  efficiently  recruited  from  the  High  School. 


Hie  Richwood  Schools. 

BY  W.  B.  GBOSE. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  year  1900  the  site  of  the  present  town  of 
Richwood  was  known  as  Cherry  Tree  Bottoms  and  was  inhabited  by 
only  three  families.  These  were  surrounded  by  a  vast  stretch  of  virgin 
forest  which  contained  almost  every  variety  of  timber  known  to  our  state. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  223 

The  hills  and  valleys  abounded  in  large  game  and  was  a  favorite  re- 
sort for  sportsmen  from  far  and  near.  But  the  past  six  years  has  wit- 
nessed a  transformation  truly  wonderful. 

In  August  1900,  the  Cherry  River  Boom  and  Lumber  Company  be- 
gan the  erection  of  their  extensive  plant.  In  less  than  one  year  the  mill 
was  in  operation  furnishing  employment  to  more  than  one  thousand  men. 
Then  began  a  boom  which  rivals  the  typical  western  town.  During  the 
year  1901,  the  Dodge  Clothespin  Factory  was  removed  from  Duhring,  Pa., 
to  Richwood.  The  same  year  a  Tannery  Plant  was  begun.  In  the 
summer  of  1905  the  buildings  of  the  Cherry  River  Paper  Co.  were  com- 
pleted and  soon  after  the  paper  mill  began  operations.  The  establish- 
ment of  these  factories  brought  immigrants  from  all  parts  of  America 
making  a  truly  cosmopolitan  population. 

The  town  was  incorporated  in  1901  and  the  first  school  was  taught 
during  the  winter  of  1901-2  in  a  two-room  building  furnished  by  the  Lum- 
ber Company.  E.  E.  Deitz,  who  was  chosen  as  the  first  mayor  of  the 
town,  and  who  is  now  president  of  the  Board  of  Education  of  the  Inde- 
pendent District,  was  the  principal.  The  accommodations  being  insuffi- 
cient the  Board  of  Education  of  Beaver  District  assisted  by  the  town 
erected  a  frame  building  consisting  of  five  rooms.  Only  three  of  these 
rooms  were  used  during  the  ensuing  winter  of  1902-3. 

The  movement  for  an  Independent  District  was  begun  in  the  latter 
part  of  1902.  The  Legislature  of  1903  passed  the  bill  creating  the  Inde- 
pendent District  of  Richwood  and  when  placed  before  the  voters  of  Beaver 
District  received  the  endorsement  of  the  people.  But  the  Board  of  Edu- 
cation contested  the  issue  on  a  legal  technicality.  The  Circuit  Court  gave 
a  decision  in  favor  of  the  Independent  District  and  was  sustained  by  the 
Supreme  Court  of'  Appeals. 

In  the  meantime  a  graded"  school  was  established  in  the  new  building 
with  Rev.  E.  E.  Paterson  as  principal  for  the  year  1902-3.  The  following 
year  Miss  Syd  Amick  was  elected  principal.  She  being  ably  assisted  by 
Misses  Clara  Cronin  and  Mary  Cronin. 

S.  F.  Richardson  was  principal  for  the  year  1904-05.  The  district 
paid  the  minimum  salary  and  it  was  only  by  liberal  donations  of  public 
spirited  citizens  that  teachers  could  be  secured. 

The  building  was  entirely  inadequate  and  at  one  time  the  rooms 
became  so  badly  crowded  that  the  trustees  were  compelled  to  resort  to  the 
novel  expedient  of  dividing  the  school  population  into  two  sections  and 
allowing  one  section  to  attend  the  morning  session  and  the  other  in  the 
afternoon.  The  difficulties  which  confronted  the  teachers  may  be  easily 
imagined. 

The  first  Board  of  Education  for  the  Independent  District  was  elected 
in  April,  1905,  and  was  composed  of  the  following  gentlemen:  A.  A.  Wil- 
liams, President;  Dr.  Jas.  McClung,  S.  T.  Knapp,  J.  H.  Watson,  L.  C.  Wil- 
liams, Commissioners.  L.  T.  Eddy  was  chosen  Secretary. 

In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  two,  two  -room  buildings  were  erected, 
one  in  South  Richwood  and  the  other  in  the  section  of  the  town  known  as 
Tannerytown.  Frank  R.  Yoke  was  elected  superintendent  and  with  a 
corps  of  highly  capable  assistants  began  the  work  of  reorganizing  and 


224  HISTOEY  OF  EDUCATION 

regarding  the  schools  of  the  Independent  District.  Their  success  is  at- 
tested by  the  fact  that  each  teacher  who  presented  an  application  was 
re-elected  for  the  ensuing  year. 

The  continued  rapid  increase  in  population  necessitated  more  room 
and  an  increased  teaching  force,  so  the  Board  of  Education  recently  added 
two  commodious  rooms  to  the  main  building,  making  eight  rooms  in  all, 
and  two  new  rooms  to  the  building  in  South  Richwood. 

The  Independent  District  includes  three  one-room  buildings  outside 
the  corporate  limits  of  the  town  one  of  which  has  just  been  completed. 

The  school  population  was  715  according  to  the  last  enumeration,  and 
notwithstanding  the  greatly  increased  capacity  of  the  buildings,  some  of 
the  rooms  are  crowded,  and  if  the  Compulsory  School  Law  were  enforced 
more  room  would  be  a  necessity. 

The  district  now  has  seven  months  school  and  employs  seventeen 
teachers,  paying  the  superintendent  $100  per  month,  first  assistant  $75, 
first  grades  $45,  and  second  grades  $40. 

The  town  is  in  a  prosperous  condition  and  the  people  give  the 
schools  liberal  support,  cheerfully  paying  the  highest  levy  laid  in  the 
county  for  school  purposes.  The  Board  of  Education  is  composed  of 
men  identified  with  the  business  and  educational  interests  of  the  town. 
The  secretary  and  three  of  their  members  have  been  successful  teachers 
in  the  public  schools  of  the  State. 

The  present  condition  of  the  school  is  excellent.  The  attendance  is 
regular,  the  grading  more  thorough  and  systematic,  the  teachers  mani- 
fest a  progressive  spirit,  and  general  interest  and  harmony  prevail.  The 
course  of  instruction  includes  two  years  High  School  work  in  addition 
to  the  common  branches.  A  collection  of  about  300  volumes  of  choice  lit- 
erature serves  as  the  nucleus  for  a  library.  A  number  of  new  books 
have  been  added  since  the  beginning  of  the  present  term. 


Ronceverte  Public  Schools. 

BY    EX-PBIXCIPAL    H.    W.    BAECLAY. 

The  first  District  School  in  Ronceverte  was  established  in  the  year 
1875. 

A  frame  school  house  containing  one  large  room  was  built  from  the 
district  funds.  This  house  is  still  standing  and  is  situated  on  Greenbrier 
avenue  near  the  back  road  to  Lewisburg.  It  is  now  occupied  by  a  respec- 
table colored  man  named  Dick  Williams. 

The  school  at  first  numbered  about  25  pupils  and  was  taught  by 
Mr.  Erwin  Beckner  for  a  year.  He  was  followed  by  Mr.  Jno.  T.  Cribbins 
and  Mr.  Keys  Nelson. 

About  1882  the  school  had  outgrown  its  quarters,  and  a  part  of  it 
moved  into  the  two  room  brick  building,  corner  of  Greenbrier  avenue  and 
Pine  street,  now  owned  and  occupied  by  Mayor  S.  R.  Patton. 

The  principals  in  order  were:     Miss  Ella  Krebs,  Rufus  D.  Alderson, 


MANNIXGTON  DISTRICT  HIGH  SCHOOL 


WEST  LIBERTY  NORMAL  SCHOOL 


,- 


WEST  VIRGINIA  225 

1883;  A.  P.  Farley,  1884;  L.  J.  Williams,  1885-86,  and  Rev.  Walter  S. 
Anderson,  1887. 

As  the  number  of  pupils  increased,  teachers  were  added  until  in 
1884  there  were  four  teachers. 

On  Nov.  22,  of  the  same  year,  the  Board  of  Education  accepted  the 
Ronceverte  school  house  built  by  Contractor  D.  H.  Foglesong  at  a  cost  of 
$800.  This  was  the  two  story  frame  addition  immediately  in  the  rear  of 
the  brick  school  house. 

After  this  change  was  made  the  original  district  school  house  was 
occupied  for  a  short  time  by  a  colored  school. 

Owing  to  a  defect  in  the  title  to  the  lot  upon  which  the  building 
stood,  the  Board  of  Education  finally  lost  control  of  this  property.  The 
present  two  story  building  in  which  the  colored  school  is  taught  was 
built  in  1887  by  Contractor  D.  C.  Howard. 

In  1885  Ronceverte  became  an  incorporated  town. 

THE    GBADED    SCHOOL. 

Another  step  forward  in  education  was  taken  by  the  Board,  when,  in 
1888,  they  elected  a  principal  at  an  increased  salary  and  three  assistants, 
over  whom  he  should  have  authority,  and  ordered  that  the  school  should 
be  graded  in  accordance  with  the  Public  School  Manual. 

Of  the  Graded  School  Rev.  Max  Parr  was  the  first  principal.  He  was 
succeeded  by  Miss  C.  Betts,  1889,  Mr.  Wm.  Hayes,  1890,  and  Mr.  G.  D. 
Shreckhise,  1891-93. 

The  population  of  the  town  increased  very  rapidly  from  1888  to- 
1890  and  the  need  of  a  building  large  enough  to  accommodate  the  chil- 
dren of  the  town  became  apparent.  The  Board  of  Education  desired  a. 
suitable  site  for  tne  new  school  building  and,  after  due  deliberation  and 
much  discussion,  the  town  authorities  presented  for  this  purpose  lots 
numbers  69,  71,  73,  75,  76  and  77,  as  per  plan  of  the  town  of  Ronceverte. 
The  contract  for  a  large  three-story  brick  building  was  let  to  Messrs.  Dris- 
col  &  Peters  July  16,  1892,  but  the  work  was  not  completed  until  the 
session  of  1894.  The  Graded  School  was  then  moved  to  its  new  quarters. 
Mr.  Wn  M.  Boal  was  the  principal  in  charge.  He  was  succeeded  the  next 
session  V1895)  by  Mr.  Elmer  Leach. 

During  Mr.  Leach's  administration,  in  1896,  by  a  vote  of  the  people 
of  the  district,  the  Graded  School  was  made  a  High  School  and  the  course 
of  study  extended. 

Mr.  Leach  was  succeeded  in  1897  by  Mr.  H.  W.  Barclay,  and  he  was 
followed  in  1904,  by  H.  F.  Fleshman,  who  was  made  superintendent  of 
the  three  schools  of  Ronceverte. 

The  High  School  building  is  a  three  story  brick  structure,  70  feet 
square,  and  contains  ten  recitation  rooms  and  on  the  2nd  floor  a  hall  for 
general  school  exercises.  It  has  high  ceilings,  good  ventilation,  water 
and  steam  heat.  Beautiful  for  situation,  the  pride  of  the  growing  city, 
the  High  School  building  is  the  first  object  of  interest  that  attracts  the 
attention  of  the  passing  stranger.  It  crowns  a  high  hill  immediately  north 
of  the  town,  overlooks  it,  and  is  surrounded  by  a  grove  of  ancient  oaks 
and  pines. 


226  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

The  course  of  instruction  offered  to  the  pupils  of  the  district  covers 
a  period  of  12  years,  8  in  the  elementary  course  and  4  in  the  High 
School. 

Since  1875,  the  following  gentlemen  have  served  terms  as  school  com- 
missioners of  Fort  Spring  District,  viz:  Oliver  Curry,  Ben  Hurxthal, 
Fleming  Duncan,  D.  W.  Weaver,  Lewellyn  Davis,  Robert  C.  Rodes,  S.  R. 
Patton  E.  P.  Staley  and  J.  Robertson. 

The  Board  of  Education  at  this  date  (1906)  consists  of  A.  B.  C.  Bray, 
President;  Howard  Templeton  and  W.  H.  Hanger,  Commissioners. 


Salem  Public  School. 

BY   WALTER  BARNES,   SUPERINTENDENT. 

Salem,  though  one  of  the  oldest  settlements  in  the  central  part  of 
West  Virginia,  has  been  a  mere  village  through  nearly  all  its  existence. 
Not  until  the  latter  part  of  the  last  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century, 
when  petroleum  and  natural  gas  in  great  quantities  were  discovered  near 
the  town,  did  Salem  experience  anything  but  the  peace  and  quietness  her 
name  implies.  But  then  in  a  few  months  the  sleepy  hamlet  was  trans- 
formed into  a  busy  little  city,  noted  through  the  State  for  its  enterprise 
and  thrift.  These  few  facts  explain  the  history  of  the  Salem  public 
school. 

The  school  district  was  created  in  1871.  In  1877  and  1878  two  sec- 
tions of  this  district  withdrew,  depriving  Salem  district  of  a  school  build- 
ing. In  1881  a  two-story  frame  structure  was  erected,  though  the  four 
rooms  were  not  all  occupied  until  1887.  From  that  time  until  the  dis- 
covery of  petroleum  the  school  had  an  existence  so  peaceful  and  unevent- 
ful that  nothing  of  that  period  need  here  be  mentioned. 

In  1899  two  rooms  were  added  to  the  house  built  in  1881.  But  this 
was  not  sufficient  to  provide  for  the  larger  number  of  pupils  then  seek- 
ing admission,  so  in  1902-3  a  new  building  was  erected  and  the  old  one 
sold.  Moreover,  in  the  same  year  a  one-room  frame  building  was  built 
in  the  western  part  of  Salem,  another  room  being  added  in  1906. 

The  main  school  building,  which  is  located  on  an  elevation  in  the 
central  part  of  town,  is  constructed  of  brick  and  stone  and  finished  in 
hard  wood.  It  is  two  stories  in  height  and  contains  eight  class  rooms 
with  cloak  room,  one  laboratory  room  and  one  library  room,  besides  a 
basement  story.  The  school  is  tolerably  well  supplied  with  dictionaries, 
maps,  charts,  and  apparatus  for  teaching  physics.  The  library  contains 
five  hundred  and  thirty  volumes,  selected  with  reference  to  all  the  grades. 
School  furniture  is  being  supplied  constantly,  and  a  piano  will  be  pur- 
chased in  the  near  future. 

Eleven  teachers  are  employed  at  present  in  the  two  buildings.  Sal- 
aries have  been  advancing  with  the  growth  of  the  school,  and  have 
brought,  needless  to  state,  better  teachers. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  227 

Since  1890  the  school  has  been  graded.  In  1903  the  High  School 
was  created  covering  three  years'  work.  This  has  now  an  enrollment  of 
thirty-three,  twelve  of  whom  are  in  the  graduating  class.  The  course 
open  to  the  youth  of  the  district  through  the  eight  grades  and  High 
School  comprises  the  following:  reading,  language,  grammar,  composi- 
tion, rhetoric,  literature,  spelling,  numbers,  arithmetic,  book-keeping,  al- 
gebra, geometry,  nature  study,  geography,  history  (West  Virginia,  Ameri- 
can, universal)  physiology,  physical  geography,  botany,  physics,  Latin, 
(three  years)  writing,  drawing,  music. 

The  school  term  until  1905  was  six  months  in  length,  but  that  year 
it  was  increased  to  eight.  The  enumeration  for  the  year  1905-6  shows 
more  than  six  hundred  youths  of  school  age  residing  within  the  dis- 
trict. 


Sistersville  Public  Schools. 

BY   MISS    ANNA   N.    ELLIOTT,    PRINCIPAL   OF   THE   HIGH    SCHOOL. 

No  town  in  the  State  has,  in  the  last  decade,  made  more  rapid  pro- 
gress along  material  lines  than  Sistersville.  Situated,  as  it  is  in  the 
heart  of  a  great  oil  field,  its  population  has  increased  one  thousand  per- 
cent since  1890,  and  its  wealth  many  times  as  much.  But  while  the 
progress  in  industrial  and  financial  affairs  has  been  marked,  its  educa- 
tional interests  have  not  been  allowed  to  suffer  and  the  public  schools  of 
the  city  rank,  to-day,  with  those  of  the  old  established  towns  of  the 
State. 

In  1891,  the  schools  occupied  a  four-  room  brick  building  on  Main 
street.  The  rapid  increase  of  population  following  the  discovery  of  oil, 
in  1891-2,  filled  this  building  to  over-flowing.  Temporary  accommoda- 
tion was  made  for  the  increased  enrollment;  and  in  1896  a  new  and  mod- 
ern building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  forty-five  thousand  dollars.  This 
is  a  three-story  edifice  containing  thirteen  rooms,  a  high  school  assem- 
bly room,  a  library,  Superintendent's  office,  three  high  school  recitation 
rooms,  and  an  auditorium  with  a  seating  capacity  of  six  hundred.  Slate 
black-boards,  single  seats,  water,  gas  and  electric  lights,  make  it  thoroughly 
up-to-date  in  every  respect.  In  1899  a  four-room  frame  building  was 
erected  on  the  South  Side  to  accommodate  the  primary  pupils  in  that  part 
of  town. 

In  1905,  Sistersville  was  made  an  independent  school  district,  and  in 
1906,  the  citizens  of  the  district  voted  in  favor  of  a  new  school  building 
to  be  used  for  high  school  purposes.  This  building,  now  in  progress  of 
construction,  is  of  terra  cotta  brick,  trimmed  with  Cleveland  stone.  When 
completed,  it  will  contain  fifteen  rooms,  besides  an  assembly  hall  seating 
one  hundred  and  fifty.  Laboratories  will  be  specially  equipped  for  teach- 
ing Physics  and  Chemistry.  The  structure  will  be  heated  and  ventilated 
by  the  double-fan  system;  water  and  electric  light  will  be  found  in  each 
room.  A  commodious  room  on  the  first  floor  will  contain  the  library. 
A  campus  of  more  than  four  acres  surrounds  the  building.  A  portion 


228  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

of  this  will  be  used  as  an  athletic  field,  the  remaining  portion  will  be 
planted  in  trees  and  shrubbery,  and  when  an  attractive  and  substantial 
iron  fence  is  made  to  surround  these  grounds,  they  will  be  among  the 
most  beautiful  in  the  State. 

The  Library  began  in  1897,  with  fifty  volumes,  donated  by  the 
friends  of  the  school.  Since  then  the  book  shelves  have  filled  rapidly 
and  to-day,  the  Library  numbers  two  thousand  volumes,  embracing, 
history,  biography,  poetry,  fiction  and  reference.  Within  the  last  year 
the  Library  has  been  thrown  open  to  the  public,  and  a  special  librarian 
employed. 

Through  the  liberality  of  the  Board  of  Education  the  school  is  sup- 
plied with  apparatus  second  to  none  in  the  State.  The  value  of  the  ap- 
paratus in  the  High  School  laboratory  alone,  is  about  one  thousand  dol- 
lars. 

The  course  of  study  embraces  three  years  primary,  four  years 
intermediate,  and  one  year  grammar  work  below  the  High  School.  While 
many  schools  make  the  High  School  the  main  object,  and  bend  all  energy 
to  preparing  for  that,  the  aim  of  the  Superintendent  and  teachers  in  the 
Sistersville  schools,  is  to  fit  a  child  for  life  if  he  should  never  enter  the 
High  School. 

The  primary  department  is  in  charge  of  a  primary  supervisor,  who 
does  no  teaching,  but  plans  for  the  work  and  gives  instruction  to  the 
primary  teachers. 

The  intermediate  and  grammar  grades  are  under  the  direct  super- 
vision of  the  Superintendent,  himself.  He  keeps  in  close  touch  with  this 
work,  and  is  endeavoring  to  make  the  course  in  these  grades  most 
thorough  and  efficient. 

The  High  School  offers  two  complete  courses  of  study.  The  Latin- 
scientific  is  a  four-year  course  preparatory  to  college  work.  Four  years 
of  Latin,  two  years  of  German,  three  years  of  science,  four  years  of  mathe- 
matics are  embraced  in  this. 

The  English  course  offers  book-keeping,  chemistry,  and  additional 
work  in  English  as  a  substitute  for  Latin.  The  departmental  system  is 
carried  out  in  the  High  School,  and  is  giving  complete  satisfaction.  The 
enrollment  is  higher  than  it  has  ever  been. 

The  discipline  of  the  school  is  firm  and  wisely  administered.  Each 
teacher  is  held  responsible  for  the  discipline  in  her  own  room,  and  her 
success  as  a  teacher  is  gauged  largely  by  her  ability  to  control  her  pu- 
pils without  the  assistance  of  the  Superintendent.  All  cases  of  subordi- 
nation beyond  the  control  of  the  teacher  are  referred  to  the  Superintend- 
ent, when  the  offender  is  dealt  with  in  a  kind  but  effective  manner.  Cor- 
poral punishment  is  a  last  resort,  and  is  administered  very  rarely. 

Teachers  are  elected  annually,  but  a  teacher  who  gives  satisfaction 
may  rest  assured  of  re-election.  Leave  of  absence  to  attend  lectures  or 
to  carry  on  work  in  some  higher  institution,  is  frequently  granted.  This, 
as  well  as  the  scale  of  salaries,  testify  to  the  liberality  of  the  school 
board. 

The  present  board  of  education  consists  of  J.  H.  Strickling,  pres.,  Dr. 
James  R.  Stathers,  and  J.  Fred  Neil;  all  are  public  spirited  men  and 


WEST  VIRGINIA  229 

devote  a  large  amount  of  time  to  furthering  the  interests  of  the  school. 
Mr.  J.  D.  Garrison  is  Superintendent  of  the  schools,  assisted  by  Miss 
Anna  X.  Elliott,  Principal  of  the  High  School,  and  Mrs.  Harriet  Lyon, 
Supervisor  of  the  Primary  Department.  Music  and  drawing  are  in 
charge  of  a  special  teacher,  Miss  Mary  L.  Peck  of  Oberlin,  Ohio. 


Shepherdstown  Graded  School. 

BY  F.  A.  BYEBLY,  PRINCIPAL. 

"Jefferson  County  was  the  first  county  in  the  State  to  establish  the 
Free  School  System,  and  one  of  the  first  schools  in  the  county  was  estab- 
lished at  Shepherdstown.  About  1846  or  1847  the  town  was  divided  into 
two  districts  known  as  Shepherd  and  Potomac,  and  a  school  located  in 
each. 

"In  1881  the  patrons  desired  the  establishment  of  a  graded  school."  A 
building  was  secured  for  tnat  purpose  oy  the  united  action  of  the  Boards 
of  Education  authorizing  "the  Hon.  George  M.  Beltzhoover  to  purchase  the 
old  stone  structure  which  had  served  as  a  jail  while  the  county  seat  was 
here." 

After  remodeling  and  furnishing  the  jail  the  graded  school  was 
opened  in  the  autumn  of  1881.  The  first  principal  was  T.  Wilmer  Lati- 
mer,  and  his  assistants  were  Ada  M.  Harp,  Annie  E.  Fawcett  and  Ella 
M.  Kelsey.  The  latter  is  still  a  teacher  in  the  school,  now  having  charge 
of  the  sixth  grade.  The  enrollment  the  first  session  was  170;  in  1905 
and  190G  it  was  248.  The  graded  school  curriculum  is  completed  in  eight 
sessions,  and  each  grade  has  its  own  teachers. 

George  W.  Banks  served  as  principal  from  1884  to  1892.  Walter  R. 
Hill  was  then  elected  and  was  in  charge  one  session.  His  successor  was 
Charles  T.  Smootz  who  continued  in  service  until  1905,  when  the  present 
incumbent  assumed  control. 

All  matter  quoted  in  this  article  is  taken  from  the  report  of  Mr. 
Smootz. 

Mrs.  Ida  H.  Neill,  now  first  assistant,  has  been  an  instructor  in  the 
school  for  fourteen  sessions. 

Departmental  work  is  done  in  reading,  geography,  history,  English 
grammar  and  arithmetic.  This  begins  with  the  fourth  grade,  and  each 
specialist  passes  from  room  to  room  to  hear  recitations. 

Our  library  contains  about  500  volumes  of  well-chosen  books,  papers 
and  magazines  for  teachers  and  pupils.  At  stated  times,  a  dozen  pupils 
are  allowed  to  use  the  library  as  a  reading  room,  a  teacher  always  being 
present  on  such  occasions. 

The  first  Board  of  Education  for  the  Graded  School  consisted  of 
Joseph  McMurran,  President;  C.  M.  Folk,  Jacob  Kephart,  Commissioners; 
R.  S.  M.  Hoffman,  Secretary.  The  present  one  is  E.  H.  Rinehart,  Pres- 
ident; R.  T.  Banks,  W.  E.  Herr,  Commissioners,  Harrison  Schley,  Secre- 
tary. 

Our  commodious,  convenient  and  comfortable  building  contains  ten 
rooms,  and  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  Eastern  Panhandle. 


230  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

Shinnston  Public  School. 

BY  E.  A.  ALLEN. 

Among  the  first  schools  of  this  town  was  one  taught  in  1840  by  A. 
J.  Swaine.  The  funds  to  conduct  it  were  raised  by  subscription  and  the 
term  was  three  months.  The  summer  term  was  taught  in  an  old  ware- 
house, which  was  used  for  storing  grain.  In  winter  it  was  held  in  an 
old  Union  Church,  then  transferred  back  to  the  warehouse  during  the 
summer.  From  1842  to  1850  several  different  teachers  instructed  the 
youth  of  Shinnston,  practicing  upon  them  their  different  modes  of  dis- 
cipline. In  1850  the  first  school  building  was  erected)  and  was  called 
Sunny  Hall. 

This  hall  still  stands  but  there  has  been  an  addition  made  to  the 
front.  The  funds  were  raised  by  a  Mr.  Smith  who  was  the  largest  stock- 
holder and  who  was  commonly  known  as  "Extra  Billy."  He  also  super- 
vised its  construction  and  taught  the  first  session  of  school  in  it.  The 
upper  floor  was  used  by  the  sons  of  Temperance  who  afterwards  bought 
the  building.  It  is  now  owned  by  Mrs.  Augusta  Wyatt. 

In  1855  Dr.  Emery  Strickler  came  to  Shinnston  and  taught  success- 
fully for  seven  years.  He  went  among  the  patrons  with  an  article  of 
agreement  after  which  he  went  before  the  County  Commissioners  with 
a  list  of  those  entitled  to  the  Indigent  Fund.  Only  the  very  poor  took 
advantage  of  this  fund  as  it  subjected  their  children  to  taunts  from  their 
schoolmates. 

The  next  school  building  was  the  Town  Hall.  It  was  commenced 
by  subscription,  roofed  and  enclosed  when  the  Civil  War  came.  It  was 
used  by  the  Home  Guards  during  the  war  and  sold  to  the  District  School 
Board  about  the  close  of  the  war.  Wiliam  B.  Wilkinson  taught  the  first 
school  in  it  in  1866.  It  was  sold  to  L.  J.  Rowand  in  1894. 

On  the  first  Monday  in  December,  1895,  school  was  opened  by  A.  H. 
Clark  in  the  beautiful  new  building  on  the  hill,  which  is  the  pride  of 
Shinnston.  It  is  a  modern  'two-story  brick  building  containing  six  rooms 
and  a  High  School  annex  containing  two  rooms  and  a  chapel  hall.  All 
the  rooms  are  light  and  airy.  • 

At  the  last  election  the  proposition  to  establish  a  High  School  was 
submitted  to  the  voters  of  Clay  District  and  carried  by  a  large  majority. 
This  High  School  is  to  occupy  part  of  the  Shinnston  school  building.  The 
Board  of  Education  is  composed  of  Allison  Robinson,  C.  H.  Higinbotham 
and  M.  E.  Pigott,  whose  intention  is  to  make  this  a  standard  High 
School. 

Methods  of  government  and  teaching  have  kept  pace  with  the  im- 
provement in  buildings  until  Shinnston  possesses  a  good  graded  school. 
We  hope  to  see  Clay  District  possess  one  of  the  best  District  High  Schools 
in  the  State. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  231 

St.  Albans  Public  Schools. 

BY  PRINCIPAL   CHARLES   E.   HEDRICK. 

St.  Albans,  for  many  years,  has  been  struggling  fdr  a  good  school 
system.  This  was  hindered  at  first  by  the  presence  and  popularity  of 
private  schools  and  tutors  in  families.  Mr.  John  Porter,  of  Boston, 
taught  a  private  school  in  the  early  40's.  Soon  afterwards  Rev.  T.  B. 
Nash,  rector  of  St.  Mark's  Episcopal  Church,  opened  at  the  rectory  a 
school  made  up  of  the  most  prominent  young  men  of  the  community. 

Dr.  Thompson  and  Arthur  Fox  were  the  first  public  school  teachers 
at  St.  Albans.  For  some  time  the  free  school  was  small  owing  to  a 
preference,  by  many,  for  the  good  private  schools.  Mrs.  M.  M.  Thompson 
and  Mrs.  S.  L.  Cato  were  the  first  teachers  to  arouse  interest  in  the 
primary  department.  From  this  beginning  the  interest  grew  until  the 
school  was  on  a  good  basis. 

The  town  can  now  boast  of  a  splendid  brick  building  which  cost  over 
$10,000.  It  is  heated  by  steam  and  has. a  good  basement,  which  is  used 
for  an  eating  room  and  play  room. 

High  school  work  was  begun  in  the  fall  of  1906.  The  course  at 
present  covers  two  years. 

Prospects  are  bright  here  for  a  prosperous  town  and  a  successful 
school.  The  Board  of  Trade  and  the  Board  of  Education  are  both  taking 
great  interest  in  school  work.  They  have  promised  the  people  a  new 
building  next  year. 


Historical  Sketch  of  Spencer  School. 

BY    W.    S.    MORRIS,    PRINCIPAL. 

In  the  session  of  the  Legislature  of  1873,  H.  T.  Hughes,  the  Delegate 
from  Roane  County,  introduced  a  bill  and  secured  its  passage,  to  create 
an  Independent  School  District  out  of  a  certain  irregular  boundary  of 
1000  acres  lying  in  and  adjacent  to  the  Town  of  Spencer. 

The  log  building  of  one  room  which  was  used  for  school  purposes 
prior  to  the  year  1873  was  now  utilized  for  the  same  purposes  by  the  In- 
dependent District  till  1874.  At  this  time,  the  Board  of  Education  pur- 
chased one-half  acre  of  land  on  the  north  side  of  Main  street  and  erected 
a  frame  building  of  one  room.  In  1877  an  addition  of  one  room  was 
constructed,  and  two  teachers  were  employed. 

This  building  being  destroyed  by  fire  in  1887,  the  M.  E.  Church  prop- 
erty was  used  for  a  school  building,  1887-8.  In  the  summer  of  1888,  a 
three-room  school  building  was  erected.  This  building  was  consumed  by 
fire  in  1896. 

In  1895  the  Legislature  authorized  the  Board  of  Education  of  this 
district  to  hold  an  election  to  provide  for  a  bond  issue  of  $10,000.  The 
bond  election  was  held  and  the  result  was  favorable. 

From  the  proceeds  of  the  bond  issue  and  the  sale  of  old  school  lot, 


232  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

the  Board  purchased  a  two-acre  lot,  situated  upon  a  rolling  eminence 
and  covered  with  native  forest.  Upon  this  lot  was  erected  a  modern  two- 
story  brick  building  of  six  rooms.  Four  rooms  were  furnished  for  im- 
mediate use  in  189G,  and  the  other  two  rooms  in  1898.  In  1902  an  ad- 
dition of  two  rooms  was  built;  one  room  was  furnished  for  use  the  same 
year,  the  other  was  fitted  and  furnished  for  the  high  school  department 
in  1905. 

A  High  School  course  of  two  years  was  prepared  by  W.  S.  Morris, 
and  the  same  was  adopted  by  the  Board  of  Education  August  20,  1906. 
The  whole  enrollment  of  the  school  for  190G-7  is  437;  the  enumeration  is 
about  600. 

The  Board  of  Education  is  composed  of  men  who  have  the  interest 
of  the  children  and  community  at  heart.  The  members  of  the  board  are: 
Orville  McMillan,  President;  P.  C.  Adams  and  R.  H.  Beckley,  Commis- 
sioners. 

The  school  is  enjoying  a  high  degree  of  success  under  supervision  of 
Prin.  W.  S.  Morris,  B.  A.,  aided  by  his  seven  assistants. 


Sutton  Public  Schools. 

BY  J.   H.   PATTERSON,  PRINCIPAL. 

In  1866  T.  J.  Berry  and  his  wife,  a  finely  educated  woman,  came  to 
Sutton  and  were  the  pioneers  in  educational  work.  They  taught  the  pub- 
lic school  and  after  the  short  term  was  ended,  kept  private  school  the 
remainder  of  the  year  so  that  school  was  almost  continuous  in  Sutton. 
For  a  long  time  the  sessions  were  held  in  the  court  house,  a  small  frame 
building  which  also  did  duty  as  a  church,  a  lyceum  and  a  meeting  place 
for  the  people  whenever  it  was  necessary  or  convenient  for  them  to  meet. 
This  building  is  now  the  residence  of  the  jailer  and  will  be  until -the  new 
jail  is  completed  when  it  will  be  removed  or  destroyed. 

About  1890  the  building  now  in  use  was  erected.  It  is  a  house  set 
upon  a  hill;  but  in  seeming  contradiction  to  the  Scriptures  is  almost 
hid.  The  new  building  to  be  occupied  in  September  is  near  the  old  one.  It 
has  ten  school  rooms,  a  fine  auditorium  and  ample  space  for  laboratories 
in  the  basement.  There  will  be  water  in  every  room,  and  also  gas  lights 
for  dark  days. 

The  progress  of  the  schools  has  been  rapid  in  the  last  few  years. 
Under  the  principalship  of  E.  B.  Carlin,  Roy  Waugh  and  C.  A.  Bond  the 
schools  were  well  graded,  a  high  school  established  and  a  library  begun. 
The  library  now  contains  nearly  five  hundred  volumes  well  selected  and 
much  used.  The  high  school  has  at  present  a  three  year  course.  In  the 
three  classes  are  enrolled  nearly  fifty  pupils.  The  class  of  1907  consists 
of  three  young  men  and  six  young  women,  several  of  whom  are  preparing 
for  college. 

The  Sutton  schools  are  rich  in  prospects.  The  new  building  will  be 
an  inspiration  to  patrons,  pupils  and  teachers.  Higher  salaries  and  longer 


NEW  BUILDING  AT  ELM  GROVE 


ADMINISTRATION  BUILDING,  REFORM  SCHOOL,  PRUNTYTOWN 


WEST  VIRGINIA  233 

terms  will  attract  the  best  teachers,  so  the  best  work  can  be  done.  The 
grades  are  full,  too  full  for  best  results;  but  in  another  year  there  will 
be  room  for  all.  The  High  School  is  even  now  attracting  good  people 
from  the  country  who  move  to  town  to  give  their  children  an  education. 
It  is  hoped  that  another  year  may  soon  be  added  to  the  course  so  that  it 
may  rank  in  scope  and  efficiency  with  any  in  the  State. 


Thomas  Public    Schools. 

BY   PRINCIPAL  T.   NUTTER. 

The  first  school  established  in  Thomas  was  in  the  fall  of  1886.  At 
this  time  and  for  four  years  afterwards,  no  school  building  was  owned 
by  the  district,  but  rooms  were  rented  wherever  they  could  be  most  con- 
veniently secured.  The  teachers  during  this  period,  in  order  of  their 
service,  were  Mr.  Hampton  Werner,  Miss  Lily  McNemar,  Miss  May  Hep- 
burn and  Mr.  C.  O.  Strieby. 

In  the  fall  of  1890,  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  O.  H.  Hoffman,  Presi- 
dent of  the  Board  of  Education,  a  two-room  school  building  being 
a  part  of  the  present  Central  School  Building,  was  erected  and  two  teach- 
ers were  then  employed,  Mr.  A.  M.  Cunningham  being  principal. 

To  meet  the  needs  of  a  growing  population,  a  wing,  consisting  of  two 
rooms,  was  added  in  1895,  and  a  like  addition  was  made  in  1898.  Five 
years  later,  the  school  becoming  crowded  again,  a  one-room  building 
ws  erected  in  North  Thomas,  and  the  old  M.  E.  Church  South  in  South 
Thomas,  was  converted  into  a  school  house;  these  two  buildings  being 
now  used  for  the  accommodation  of  primary  pupils. 

Within  the  last  two  and  a  half  years  many  improvements  have 
been  made,  and  the  Central  School  building,  as  it  now  stands,  consists  of 
six  large  rooms  and  a  handsome  office,  besides  the  halls  and  basement.  It 
is  steam  heated,  electric  lighted,  fitted  with  a  system  of  electric  bells, 
plumbed  for  water  and  surrounded  by  a  good  iron  fence.  Shade  trees 
have  been  planted  in  all  three  grounds,  and  in  a  short  time  will  add  much 
to  their  attractiveness. 

In  the  fall  of  1904,  under  the  supervision  of  the  Principal,  Mr.  T. 
Nutter,  the  grade  work  was  divided  into  eight  years  and  the  High  School 
course  arranged  to  cover  three  years. 

It  is  to  the  credit  of  all  concerned  that  after  the  first  three  years, 
Thomas  has  had  eight  months  school,  and  that  since  1893  free  text  books 
have  been  furnished. 

The  school  is  well  supplied  with  apparatus,  and  assisted  with  a  small 
appropriation  by  the  Board  of  Education,  but  largely  through  the  efforts 
of  teachers  and  pupils,  a  good  library  has  been  added. 

At  present  the  schools,  including  the  colored  one-room  school,  which 
was  established  some  years  since,  enroll  459  pupils  and  employ  nine 
teachers. 


234  HISTOEY  OF  EDUCATION 

PRINCIPALS  OF  THE  THOMAS  SCHOOLS. 

A.  M.  Cunningham,  1890. 
Eugene  Myers,  1891. 
Elmer  Bowers,  189^2. 
S.  H.  McLane,  1893. 
Miss  Lily  Elliott,  1894. 
A.   E.   Michael,   1895-1898. 
F.  F.  Farnsworth,  1898. 
A.  E.  Michael,  1899-1904. 
T.  Nutter,  1904— to  date. 


Wellsburg  Public  Schools. 

BY    SUPERINTENDENT    R.    A.    RIGGS. 

The  town  of  Wellsburg  was  established  by  Legislative  enactment 
December  7,  1791,  and  named  Charlestown  after  Charles  Prather.  Brooke 
county  was  formed  from  Ohio  county  November  30,  1796,  and  Charlestown 
was  the  seat  of  justice.  December  27,  1816,  the  name  was  changed  to 
Wellsburg  in  honor  of  Alexander  Wells  who  married  the  only  daughter 
of  Chas.  Prather,  and  to  avoid  confusion  with  Charles  Town  in  Jefferson 
county. 

Brooke  Academy  was  incorporated  January  10,  1799,  Jefferson  Semi- 
nery  1835  and  Wellsburg  Female  Academy,  1851.  School  was  kept 
in  the  council  chamber  over  the  Old  Market  House  as  early  as  1844.  Some 
of  the  pioneer  pedagogues  who  taught  in  these  schools  did  a  grand 
work  but  they  are  known  to-day  only  by  tradition.  Adaline  Doddridge, 
daughter  of  Congressman  Doddridge;  Margaret  Moore,  James  Crawford, 
Samuel  Nesbit,  an  able  minister  of  the  M.  E.  Church;  Samuel  Thompkins, 
a  clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England;  Peter  Grant,  Joseph  Nay  lor,  Wil- 
liam Patton  and  John  M.  Bell  are  the  names  of  teachers  who  moulded  pub- 
lic opinion  and  laid  the  foundation  for  the  Free  School  System  that  was 
adopted  in  1864  by  the  Legislature  of  the  New  State  of  West  Vir- 
ginia. 

The  sessions  of  the  Free  School  were  held  in  the  Seminary  until 
January,  1869.  At  this  time  a  three  story  brick  'building  was  completed 
and  the  school  moved  into  it.  This  building  is  still  in  use  and  shows 
that  our  fathers  built  wisely  and  well.  The  first  Board  of  Education  con- 
sisted of  G.  W.  Caldwell,  President;  Joseph  Applegate  and  Joseph  B. 
Harding,  Commissioners,  and  Henry  E.  Shearer,  Secretary.  Col.  M.  Wells 
was  elected  principal  and  he  had  four  assistants. 

The  Wellsburg  Independent  District  was  established  in  1867.  The 
law  creating  it  was  amended  in  1881  and  again  in  1895.  At  the  present 
time  the  Board  of  Education  consists  of  John  L.  Douglas,  President; 
Geo.  L.  Caldwell  and  E.  A.  Sheets,  Secretary.  We  have  four  buildings 
and  nineteen  teachers.  There  are  1,400  pupils  enumerated  and  900  en- 
rolled. At  present  the  rooms  are  crowded  and  new  pupils  are  coming  in 
dailv. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  235 

255  pupils  have  graduated  from  the  school  since  its  beginning.  The 
first  class  consisted  of  two  members;  in  the  class  of  1906  there  were 
twenty-one.  The  present  enrollment  of  the  High  School  is  80,  fourteen 
of  whom  are  of  the  senior  grade. 

The  course  of  study  is  laid  out  on  the  twelve-year  basis.  The  aim  is  to 
build  character  and  give  an  incentive  to  get  the  best  out  of  life.  We 
want  our  boys  and  girls  to  be  practical  whether  they  go  to  college,  the 
shop  or  the  home.  The  object  of  the  Public  School  is  to  reach  the  masses 
to  get  to  the  homes,  to  make  better  citizens  and  thereby  a  more  stable  gov- 
ernment. With  a  progressive,  intelligent  Board  of  Education  and  a  corps 
of  experienced  and  educated  teachers,  our  Public  Schools,  the  hope  and 
pride  of  our  city,  will  take  no  backward  step  but  march  steadily  on  to- 
ward the  ideal. 


Weston  Public  Schools. 

The  records  of  the  Weston  schools  having  been  lost  or  destroyed,  the 
only  source  from  which  to  obtain  information  concerning  the  schools, 
down  to  about  the  year  1888,  is  the  memory  of  those  who  resided  in  Wes- 
ton during  the  early  periods  of  the  town's  history,  and  even  they  can 
not  recall  the  various  changes  in  government  and  the  succession  of  prin- 
cipals and  members  of  the  Boards  of  Education. 

Many  pay  schools  were  taught  in  Weston  before  the  Free  School 
System  was  established  in  18G3.  Prof.  John  Kierans,  James  O'Hara, 
Professor  Seaman,  Adelaide  Bailey,  George  Duvall,  Father  Burke  and 
Prof.  John  Murray,  each  taught  one  or  more  terms  in  the  basement  of 
the  old  Catholic  church  on  the  hill,  perhaps  on  the  lot  where  Hon.  Robert 
L.  Eland's  palatial  residence  now  stands  overlooking  the  entire  central 
portion  of  the  town  of  Weston. 

About  the  year  1870,  before  the  brick  school  houses  were  built  in 
Weston,  Prof.  D.  B.  Whitman,  assisted  by  E.  J.  Wilson  and  Misses  Barnes, 
Hall,  and  Hamilton,  taught  for  a  short  time  in  what  is  known  as  the  Ross 
property  on  lower  Main  street,  then  owned  by  the  Board  of  Education; 
Mr.  Samuel  Steele  also  taught  a  few  terms  of  school  in  that  building. 
His  assistant  teachers  were  Miss  Mary  Hamilton,  afterward  the  wife  of 
Hon.  R.  G.  Linn,  Miss  Mary  Spaulding,  and  Miss  Ella  Hall. 

Next  in  order  of  succession  was  George  W.  Crook  who  taught  in  the 
McBride  building  near  the  corner  of  Second  and  Center  streets,  and  also 
in  the  King  House  opposite  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church.  Misses 
Hall  and  Hamilton  were  his  assistant  teachers.  This  school  taught  in  the 
summer  of  1868,  was  the  first  free  school  ever  taught  in  Weston.  Captain 
Crook  was  identified  with  the  school  work  of  Lewis  County  for  many 
years  as  teacher  and  County  Superintendent,  and  he  represented  the 
county  of  Lewis  one  term  in  the  West  Virginia  Legislature. 

Prof.  George  Crookes  taught  several  terms  .of  school  in  Weston,  per- 
haps in  the  McBride  building,  the  King  house,  and  in  the  old  Plant 
house  in  Germany,  in  the  eastern  portion  of  the  town.  About  the  year 
1867  Robert  C.  Arbuckle  taught  in  the  Methodist  Protestant  Church,  the 


236  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

property  now  owned  by  Judge  Linn  Brannon.     For  a  short  time  during 
the  war  this  building  was  used  as  a  soldiers'  hospital. 

In  1S54-5  John  Kierans  undertook  to  erect  a  brick  school  house  at 
the  corner  of  Court  and  Third  streets.  He  succeeded  so  far  as  to  com- 
plete one  or  two  rooms  in  which  William  Kenney  taught  a  few  terms 
of  school.  William  Kenny  was  afterward  a  Chaplain  in  the  Confederate 
army,  and  about  the  year  187G-7  he  was  a  member  of  the  state  examining 
board  and  served  as  such  with  State  Superintendent  Benjamin  W.  Byrne. 
During  an  interval  of  delay  caused,  perhaps,  by  lack  of  funds,  that  por- 
tion of  the  building  already  completed  by  Mr.  Kierans,  was  rented  to  a 
man  by  the  name  of  Stazel  as  a  dwelling  house  .  Unfortunately,  however, 
while  he  occupied  it  with  his  family  the  walls  collapsed,  the  building 
fell  to  the  ground,  and  Mrs.  Stazel  and  one  child  were  badly  hurt. 

The  Board  of  Education  acquired  title  to  lots  15  and  16,  on  which  the 
two  brick  school  houses  are  located,  by  deed  from  J.  M.  Bennett,  dated 
August  15,  1871,  and  in  1873  an  eight-room  brick  house  was  erected  by 
P.  M.  Hale;  this  structure  is  yet  the  best  school  house  in  the  district. 

Dr.  Loyal  Young,  a  Presbyterian  minister,  taught  the  first  school 
in  the  Hale  building,  and  Edwin  S.  Bland  succeeded  him  as  principal. 
Professor  Crippin  and  H.  H.  Clark  also  taught  in  that  building.  Mrs. 
Amy  Higsby  was  one  of  Professor  Clark's  most  efficient  teachers. 

In  1876  Louis  Bennett  was  elected  principal  for  the  next  school  year. 
His  term  as  principal  was  one  of  the  best  in  the  history  of  the  school; 
but  having  higher  aspirations  than  teaching,  he  resigned  and  entered 
upon  other  work;  he  was  succeeded  by  his  first  assistant,  James  Peterson, 
who  was  also  an  excellent  teacher  and  a  good  disciplinarian. 

In  1881-2  Prof.  J.  E.  Connelly  became  principal  of  the  schools.  One 
of  his  most  successful  assistant  teachers  was  Mrs.  Mary  Bland,  the  moth- 
er of  Hon.  Robert  L.  Bland,  member  of  the  West  Virginia  Legislature  in 
1906-7,  and  of  Linn  Bland,  assitant  cashier  of  the  Citizens  Bank  of  Wes- 
ton  in  1907.  .Mrs.  Bland  taught  fifteen  consecutive  terms,  and  no  teacher 
was  more  highly  respected  or  better  loved. 

Other  prominent  educators  who  succeeded  to  the  principalship  were 
H.  G.  Lawson,  Meigs  Bland,  T.  W.  Hale,  Dr.  George  Edmiston,  J.  W.  Bon- 
ner  and  J.  E.  Galford.  Mr.  Bonner's  assistants  in  1900  were,  J.  E.  Con- 
nelly, Mrs.  Mary  Bland,  Mrs.  E,  B.  Arbuckle,  and  Misses  Mary  Tierney, 
Opal  Oliver  and  Lucy  Lockhart.  Mr.  Galford  was  a  graduate  of  the  West 
Virginia  University  and  was  thus  admirably  equipped  for  the  work.  He 
was  also  a  graduate  of  the  law  department  of  that  institution,  and  after 
serving  only  one  year  as  principal,  he  engaged  in  the  active  work  of  the 
legal  profession  with  as  bright  prospects,  perhaps,  as  any  young  lawyer 
who  ever  practiced  at  the  Weston  Bar;  but  Father  Time  called  him  from 
earth  to  his  greater  reward  in  the  life  beyond. 

Prof.  F.  L.  Burdette  succeeded  Mr.  Galford  as  principal  and  later  was 
made  superintendent.  During  his  administration  many  important  changes 
were  made  in  the  course  of  instruction.  Another  building  known  as  the 
"Annex"  was  erected  in  1885-6,  and  additional  teachers  were  employed. 
Thomas  I.  Cummings,  who  has  since  become  one  of  the  successful  law- 
yers at  the  Weston  Bar,  was  appointed  first  assistant.  Perry  G.  Alfreu, 


WEST  VIRGINIA  237 

who  in  those  days  was  one  of  Lewis  county's  most  successful  teachers, 
also  taught  for  a  time  as  first  assistant  in  the  Weston  schools.  At  that 
time  the  superintendent  received  $100.00  per  month,  and  the  first  assist- 
ant received  from  $50.00  to  $60.00,  while  the  primary  teachers  received 
$30.00.  Mrs.  Alice  Young  who  taught  so  successfully  for  twelve  or  more 
years  in  the  "baby  room,"  received  a  few  dollars  more  during  part  of 
the  time.  Mrs.  Young  served  so  long  and  so  faithfully  in  the  first  pri- 
mary room  that,  when  in  1904  the  death  angel  summoned  her,  there  was 
sadness  and  sorrow  in  every  home  in  the  district. 

In  the  year  1895,  while  N.  B.  Newlon  was  president  of  the  Board  of 
Education,  and  Prof.  F.  L.  Burdette,  Superintendent,  a  special  act  for 
the  government  of  the  schools  of  the  district  was  passed  by  the  West 
Virginia  Legislature.  Hon.  Andrew  Edmiston  was  then  Lewis  county's 
representative  in  the  House  of  Delegates,  and  to  him,  perhaps,  more  than 
to  any  other  person  belongs  the  honor  of  having  this  important  measure 
enacted,  since  which  time  the  town  schools  have,  been  divorced  from  those 
of  the  county.  This  special  act  among  other  things  provides  the  following: 
"Annually  on  the  first  Monday  in  July,  or  as  soon  thereafter  as  circum- 
stances will  allow,  the  Board  of  Education  shall  appoint  a  superintend- 
ent of  schools  for  Weston  district  and  fix  his  salary;  said  superintendent, 
in  addition  to  the  duties  specified  in  this  act,  shall  perform  such  other 
appropriate  duties  with  relation  to  the  schools  of  the  district  as  the  Board 
may  prescribe. 

"The  superintendent  of  schools  for  Weston  District  shall  act  as  ex- 
aminer for  the  district  and  it  shall  be  his  duty  to  examine  all  applicants 
for  positions  as  teachers  in  the  district;  but  no  applicant  shall  be  en- 
titled to  examination  who  shall  not  furnish  satisfactory  evidence  of  good 
moral  character.  The  superintendent  shall  deliver  to  the  Board  of  Ed- 
ucation the  manuscripts  of  each  applicant  with  the  grading  thereon,  and 
the  board,  after  a  thorough  examination  of  said  grading,  shall  instruct 
the  secretary  to  issue  certificates  of  qualification  to  said  applicants  num- 
bering from  one  to  three,  according  to  the  merits  of  the  applicants,  the 
different  grades  of  certificates  corresponding  to  the  standard  as  required 
by  the  general  school  law.  No  certificate  shall  be  granted  for  a  longer 
term  than  one  year,  but  a  number  one  certificate  may  be  renewed  by  the 
board  on  the  recommendation  of  the  superintendent.  Examinations  shall 
be  held  not  later  than  the  last  Monday  in  July,  at  such  time  and  place 
as  the  superintendent  may  appoint.  The  subjects  for  examination  shall 
be  prescribed  by  the  superintendent  with  the  consent  of  the  Board. 
All  applicants  for  examination  shall  pay  a  fee  of  one  dollar.  The  super- 
intendent may  receive  such  compensation  for  holding  examinations  as 
the  board  may  allow  out  of  fees  received  for  examining  teachers;  the  re- 
mainder of  such  fees,  if  any,  shall  be  paid  into  the  building  fund  of  the 
district. 

"The  Board  of  Education  shall  appoint  all  teachers  for  the  public 
schools  of  any  grade  within  the  district  and  fix  their  salaries  at  a  meet- 
ing held  not  later  than  the  first  Monday  in  August  of  any  year;  but  no 
person  shall  be  employed  to  teach  in  any  public  school  of  the  district 
who  shall  not  first  have  obtained  a  certificate  of  qualification  to  teach 


238  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

a  school  of  the  grade  for  which  the  appointment  is  made,  or  who  does  not 
hold  a  State  certificate.  Teachers  shall  be  subject  in  all  respects  to  the 
rules  and  regulations  of  the  Board  of  Education.  All  appointments  of 
superintendent  and  teachers  shall  be  in  writing,  and  they  may  be  removed 
by  the  Board  of  Education  for  incompetency,  profanity,  cruelty  or  im- 
morality. 

"The  taxes  to  be  raised  as  aforesaid  for  both  teachers'  and  building 
fund  in  said  school  district  shall  not  exceed  the  rate  of  sixty-five  cents 
on  every  hundred  .dollars  valuation  according  to  the  last  assessment  for 
State  and  county  taxation." 

In  1897,  Buchanan  White,  formerly  county  superintendent  of  schools 
of  Lewis  county,  and  also  a  graduate  of  the  Law  Department  of  the  West 
Virginia  University,  was  appointed  superintendent.  He  seemed  to  have 
inherited  teaching  tendencies,  his  father  having  taught  more  than  thirty 
years  in  the  schools  of  the  county.  Superintendent  White  discovered 
that  the  school  work  was  not  properly  distributed,  especially  that  of  the 
higher  grades.  One  teacher  was  often  required  to  teach  eighth  and  ninth 
grade  branches,  and  sometimes  one  or  two  subjects  from  the  seventh  and 
tenth  grades.  In  1897  another  teacher  was  employed  for  eighth  grade 
work  and  his  salary  placed  at  $45.00. 

Superintendent  White  received  $80.00  per  month,  a  reduction  of  $20.00 
from  what  the  former  superintendent  received,  and  this  salary  remained 
the  same  for  several  years  when  it  was  raised  to  $90.00,  and  then  to  $100.00. 
Still  later  the  board  raised  the  salary  to  $110.00,  then  to  $125.00,  and  in 

1906  to  $150.00.     Two  teachers  are  employed  for  ninth   grade  work  at 
$75.00  per  month;    two  in  the  eighth  grade  at  $65.00  per  month.     The 
seventh  grade  teacher  receives  $55.00  per  month  and  all  the  other  teachers, 
except  L.  O.  Wilson  of  the  colored  school,  who  receives  $65.00,  are  paid 
$50.00  per  month. 

In  1906  another  year  was  added  to  the  course,  making  eleven  years 
Instead  of  ten,  and  an  additional  principal  employed  at  a  salary  of  $85.00 
per  month.  In  1897  there  were  twelve  teachers  in  the  district,  whereas,  in 

1907  twenty-three  teachers  are  employed,  and  two  more  are  badly  needed. 
The  enumeration  has  almost  doubled  in  the  district  within  the  last 

eight  years.  In  1900  there  were  633  children  of  school  age  in  the  district; 
in  1901,  683;  in  1902,  709;  in  1903,  778;  in  1904,  854;  in  1905,  1002;  in 
1906,  1071. 

In  1904  an  effort  was  made  by  the  board  of  education  to  have  legisla- 
tion enacted  providing  for  a  bond  issue  of  $50,000.00  to  enable  the  district 
to  provide  more  suitable  houses.  Hon.  Geo.  C.  Cole,  then  a  member  of 
the  Senate  of  West  Virginia,  afterward  Consul  General  at  Buenos  Ayres, 
and  later  transferred  to  Dawson  City,  Canada,  succeeded  in  having  such 
an  act  passed  in  the  Senate,  but  by  inadvertence,  the  matter  was  delayed 
in  the  House  of  Delegates  until  it  was  too  late  to  have  it  presented  at  that 
session. 

In  the  spring  of  1906  the  board  of  education  called  an  election  as  re- 
quired by  law,  to  determine  the  will  of  the  voters  of  the  district  in  regard 
to  a  bond  proposition,  and  fixed  the  amount  at  $75,000.00.  This  proposi- 
tion was  defeated  by  a  few  votes.  Again  in  November  of  the  same  year, 


WEST  VIRGINIA  239 

at  the  general  election,  the  proposition  was  presented  to  the  voters  of  the 
district,  but  it  was  defeated  by  a  greater  majority  than  before.  The  result 
is,  the  district  is  without  adequate  school  buildings  and  without  pros- 
pects for  anything  better  in  the  near  future. 

The  schools  of  the  district  are  divided  into  Primary,  Grammar  and 
High  School  Departments,  and  into  eleven  grades.  They  are  in  session 
eight  months  in  the  year,  usually  beginning  on  the  first  Monday  in  Sep- 
tember. 

The  public  school  library  was  started  in  1892;  it  has  been  supported 
by  a  small  allowance  out  of  the  building  fund  of  the  district,  arid  by 
the  generosity  of  a  few  friends  of  the  school  who  have  donated  books. 
Most  of  the  money  expended  in  the  purchase  of  library  books  was  ob- 
tained from  proceeds  of  entertainments  given  by  the  pupils  of  the 
school  at  the  close  of  its  yearly  sessions.  In  1897  there  were  about  three 
hundred  and  fifty  books  in  the  library,  whereas,  at  the  close  of  the  school 
year  in  1905  there  were  more  than  eighteen  hundred  volumes. 

The  Board  of  Education  purchased  sectional  book  cases  for  the 
library  in  1904,  and  these  add  very  materially  to  its  appearance  and 
convenience.  Receipts  from  entertainments  for  the  benefit  of  the  library 
since  1897  are  as  follows:  In  1898,  $105.80;  in  1899,  $113.40;  in  1900, 
$136.99;  in  1901,  $166.10;  in  1902,  $164.50;  in  1903,  $180.72;  in  1905, 
$266.30. 

There  are  two  brick  school  houses  in  the  district,  one  of  four  rooms 
and  the  other  of  eight.  The  four-room  building  originally  had  three  rooms, 
two  on  first  floor  and  one  on  second;  but  in  order  to  provide  for  an 
emergency  a  folding  partition  was  so  placed  in  the  large  room  as  to  di- 
vide the  space  into  two  rooms. 

The  Board  of  Education  owns  a  lot  72%  feet  wide  by  150  feet  in  length 
on  which  are  located  two  frame  buildings,  one  of  two  rooms  and  the  other 
of  four.  One  of  these  buildings  was  originally  a  dwelling  house,  and  the 
other  was  built  by  the  board  for  temporary  use  only.  All  of  these  rooms 
are  too  small  and  inconvenient  for  school  rooms.  The  board  rents  four 
rooms  in  the  district,  none  of  which  are  commodious  or  convenient  for 
school  purposes. 


Wheeling  Public  Schools. 

BY    H.    B.    WORK,    SUPERINTENDENT. 

The  Free  School  System  of  Wheeling  was  first  organized  in  1848, 
the  first  public  school  having  been  opened  in  October  of  that  year.  This 
organization  probably  took  place  under  an  act  of  the  Virginia  legislature 
of  March  5,  1846.  Regarding  this  action  but  little  information  is  available. 

The  first  city  school  organized  under  this  provision  was  that  located 
in  the  third  ward,  which  opened  on  the  first  Monday  of  October  1848. 
The  school  was  conducted  under  the  supervision  of  Mr.  A.  J.  Haile,  as 
principal,  assisted  by  his  wife.  The  whole  number  of  children  enrolled 
during  the  quarter  ending  Dec.  22,  1848,  was  226;  remaining  at  the  close 
of  the  quarter,  214. 


240  HISTOBY  OF  EDUCATION 

The  average  daily  atendance  of  the  boys  was  118;  of  the  girls  68,  a 
total  of  186. 

Schools  were  opened  in  the  First,  Fourth,  and  Fifth  Wards  in  1849. 
The  school  in  the  Second  Ward  did  not  open  until  sometime  later  than 
the  others.  A  minute  of  the  board  shows  that  work  was  begun  tfpon 
it  in  the  spring  of  1849.  In  the  meantime  a  new  law  had  been  passed 
and  a  very  great  change  made  in  the  organization  of  the  system. 

"Thus  the  first  public  school  system  introduced  into  the  southern 
states  was  that  of  Ohio  County,  Virginia;  and  the  first  public  school 
established  in  the  South  was  the  Third  Ward  Public  School  in  the  city 
of  Wheeling.  Shades  of  Berkeley!  What  an  innovation!"  (History  of 
Ohio  County — Judge  G.  L.  Cramer.) 

The  history  of  the  public  schools  of  Wheeling  as  a  separate  and  inde- 
pendent district  begins  in  1849,  when  an  act  was  passed  by  the  General 
Assembly  of  Virginia  separating  the  city  from  the  county  and  placing  it 
under  the  control  of  a  separate  and  independent  board.  This  act  passed 
the  Legislature  February  23,  1849.  At  once  preparation  was  made  to 
carry  out  the  provisions  of  the  act.  The  first  record  shows  that  a  meet- 
ing for  the  purpose  of  establishing  the  schools  of  the  district  was  held 
March  27,  1849.  The  minutes  of  this  meeting  began  as  folows: 

"Pursuant  to  an  act  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Virginia 
entitled  'An  Act  Concerning  District  Public  Schools  in  the  County  of 
Ohio,'  passed  Feb.  23,  1849,  the  clerk  of  the  city  of  Wheeling  whose 
duty  it  became,  under  the  law  aforesaid,  issued  a  writ  for  an  election  to 
be  held  on  the  fourth  Monday  of  March  1849,  for  one  school  commis- 
sioner and  two  school  trustees  for  each  ward  in  said  city,  and  the  officer 
whose  duty  it  was  to  conduct  said  election,  having  made  due  return 
thereof  as  required  by  said  act,  it  appears  from  said  returns  that  the 
following  named  persons  have  been  duly  elected  school  commissioners  of 
said  city,  viz:  For  the  first  ward,  Thomas  Johnson,  Sr.;  for  th«  second 
ward,  William  S.  Wickham;  for  the  third  ward,  Morgan  Nelson;  for  the 
fourth  ward,  Richard  W.  Harding;  for  the  fifth  ward,  Henry  Echols;  to 
continue  in  office  until  the  fourth  Monday  in  January,  1850." 

Morgan  Nelson  was  chosen  at  first  President  of  the  Board  of  Commis- 
sioners, and  George  W.  Sights,  clerk.  Among  all  those  named  as  com- 
missioners and  trustees  at  the  organization,  there  is  not  one  now  living. 

The  schools  went  into  operation  under  many  difficulties,  but  the 
opposition  was  slowly  overcome,  and  the  public  school  system  thus  be- 
came established  in  this  city  before  the  formation  of  the  present  State 
of  West  Virginia.  When  the  system  went  into  operation  the  city  con- 
tained nearly  10,000  inhabitants,  and  for  a  number  of  years  the  aggre- 
gate attendance  in  the  schools  was  about  1,000.  Five  school  buildings 
were  provided,  one  in  each  ward,  each  having  two  main  school  rooms, 
one  for  the  boys  and  one  for  the  girls. 

The  records  show  that  the  commissioners  during  the  first  years 
had  very  much  to  contend  with.  New  houses  were  to  be  built,  and  the 
schools  were  to  be  equipped.  Money  had  to  be  borrowed,  rules  provided, 
courses  of  study  mapped  out,  text-books  to  be  agreed  upon,  and  in  fact 
every  thing  taken  from  the  hands  of  individuals  and  done  by  officials. 


WI:ST  VIRGINIA  241 

It  is  worthy  of  notice  and  remark  that  very  wise  provisions  were  made. 
The  rules  then  adopted  for  the  government  of  the  board  and  the  schools 
have  come  to  us  with  some  modifications  and  additions. 

One  of  the  first  subjects  considered  by  the  board  of  18'49  was  the 
establishing  of  a  High  School.  The  following  is  found  as  part  of  the 
minutes  of  the  first  meeting.  "On  motion,  Messrs.  Johnston,  and  Wick- 
ham  were  appointed  a  committee  to  select  a  proper  site  for  the  erection 
and  establishment  of  a  central  High  School,  and  make  report  to  this 
board."  Subsequent  records  show  that  a  site  was  procured,  but  no 
building  was  erected.  After  some  years  this  site  was  sold  and  the  mat- 
ter of  a  Central  High  School  dropped  for  the  time  being. 

At  the  time  the  free  schools  were  first  organized  the  total  available 
fund  for  school  purposes  was  $5,921.52.  In  order  to  continue  schools  in 
session  from  the  "first  Monday  in  October  to  the  second  Friday  in  July," 
all  parents  were  required  to  pay  for  each  pupil  one  dollar  per  term,  or 
three  dollars  each  year,  to  supplement  the  Literary  Fund,  and  levy. 

The  schools  were  continued  under  the  provisions  of  this  act  of 
1849  for  about  sixteen  years.  The  struggle  of  the  Civil  War  brought 
about  the  rending  of  Virginia,  and  West  Virginia  became  a  State  of  the 
Union  in  1863,  and  by  its  constitution  a  free  school  system  was  pro- 
vided for  the  whole  State.  Such  had  not  been  the  case  in  Virginia,  no 
general  law  providing  public  schools  for  the  whole  state  had  ever  been 
passed,  but  special  laws  for  particular  counties  had  been  passed. 

The  Legislature  of  West  Virginia  passed  an  act  on  the  2nd  day  of 
March,  1865  constituting  the  city  of  Wheeling  an  independent  school  dis- 
trict, to  be  known  as  the  School  District  of  Wheeling.  Thus  since  the 
Act  of  Virginia  in  1849  the  schools  of  the  city  have  been  carried  on  in- 
dependently of  those  of  the  county  or  state.  The  act  provides  for  a 
Board  of  Education  to  be  made  up  of  three  members  from  each  sub- 
district.  The  members  of  this  board  are  elected  for  six  years  one- 
third  being  elected  every  two  years.  Under  the  old  regime  there  was  no 
city  superintendent,  the  work  of  each  school  was  directed  by  its  own 
principal.  There  was  a  lack  of  unity  and  in  many  respects  the  system 
was  faulty  and  imperfect. 

When  the  schools  were  organized  under  the  new  law  in  1865,  there 
were  six  school  districts  as  follows:  Washington,  Madison,  Clay,  Union, 
Centre,  and  Webster.  Ritchie,  which  is  now  the  largest  district  in  the 
city,  was  added  in  1872. 

F.  S.  Williams,  formerly  a  principal  of  one  of  the  schools,  was  ap- 
pointed Superintendent  for  the  district  of  Wheeling.  August  2,  1865.  This 
position  he  filled  with  marked  ability  until  October,  1875  when  he  re- 
signed his  office.  He  died  in  Minneapolis,  Minn.,  some  seven  or  eight 
years  ago.  In  November,  1875,  John  C.  Hervey  was  chosen  Superin- 
tendent of  city  schools.  He  was  a  member  of  the  graduating  class  of 
Washington  College  of  1847,  of  which  James  G.  Blaine  was  a  member. 
He  filled  the  position  in  a  most  satisfactory  manner  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  May,  1881.  John  M.  Birch,  formerly  principal  of  Linsly  In- 
stitute in  the  city,  was  chosen  Superintendent  June  16,  1881,  by  a  unani- 
mous vote  of  the  Board  of  Education.  As  Superintendent  he  was  active 


242  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

and  energetic,  and  under  his  administration  the  schools  progressed* 
rapidly.  Superintendent  Birch  resigned  in  July,  1885,  having  accepted 
the  position  of  Consul  to  Nagasaki,  Japan.  On  July  17,  1885,  W.  H.  An- 
derson, formerly  principal  of  Union  School,  was  elected  Superintendent. 
His  administration  was  marked  by  a  steady  growth  in  the  breadth  and 
efficiency  of  the  school  work.  Mr.  Anderson  was  active  in  all  state  and 
national  organizations,  and  was  well  known  to  the  leading  educators 
of  the  nation.  After  eighteen  years  of  successful  service  in  this  posi- 
tion, and  twenty-four  years  of  service  in  the  city  schools  he  resigned 
and  was  succeeded  July  16,  1903,  by  David  E.  Cloyd,  formerly  School  Visit- 
or for  the  General  Education  Board  of  New  York.  Mr.  Cloyd's  period 
of  service  was  terminated  Oct.  1,  1904,  and  H.  B.  Work,  the  present 
Superintendent  was  chosen  as  his  successor.  Mr.  Work  has  been  identi- 
fied with  the  city  schools  for  the  past  nine  years  having  been  elected 
principal  of  the  High  School  on  its  establishment  in  1897. 

There  has  been  a  constant  and  steady  growth  in  the  development  of 
the  school  system  in  all  the  years  of  its  history.  It  has  kept  pace 
in  buildings  and  equipment  with  the  steady  increase  of  population;  and 
in  methods  of  teaching  breadth  of  course  of  study,  and  facilities  for 
instruction  it  has  kept  abreast  of  all  solid  educational  advancement  in 
cities  of  its  class  throughout  the  nation. 

The  German  language  was  made  a  branch  of  instruction  in  the  ele- 
mentary schools  more  than  thirty  years  ago.  Music,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  a  supervisor  has  been  a  part  of  the  work  of  the  schools  since  1889. 
Drawing  was  added  in  1896.  High  'School  subjects  were  taught  in  the 
higher  grades  (called  Grammar  Schools)  in  every  ward,  and  large  class- 
es were  graduated  every  year.  In  1897  provision  was  made  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  High  School  to  replace  the  Grammar  Schools.  This  school 
opened  October  5,  1897,  the  enrollment  for  the  year  was  279.  A  principal 
and  seven  teachers  did  the  work  for  that  year.  The  course  of  study  has 
since  been  expanded  until  a  principal  and  ten  teachers  are  required  to- 
maintain  the  different  departments  of  instruction. 

There  are  at  present  thirteen  buildings  in  use  for  school  purposes, 
The  teaching  force  consists  of  the  Superintendent,  nine  principals,  two 
supervisors,  one  hundred  and  forty-eight  regular  teachers  in  the  ele- 
mentary and  high  schools  and  five  special  teachers  of  German  in  the 
elementary  schools. 

The  course  of  study  in  the  elementary  grades  covers  a  period  of 
eight  years  and  includes  thorough  drill  and  instruction  in  all  the  so- 
called  common  school  branches. 

There  are  four  parallel  courses  of  study  open  to  High  School  pupils 
each  of  them  covering  a  period  of  four  years.  These  are  designated  re- 
spectively as,  English,  Classical,  Literary  and  Commercial.  A  part  of  the 
work  of  each  course  is  prescribed,  the  remainder  is  elective. 

Pupils  pass  directly  from  the  elementary  schools  to  the  High  School 
when  they  have  successfully  completed  the  work  prescribed  for  those 
grades.  There  are  no  special  examinations  for  pupils  of  the  city  schools 
for  entrance  to  the  high  schools.  Pupils  from  other  high  schools  of 
recognized  standing  are  received  upon  their  records  as  furnished  by  the- 


WEST  VIRGINIA  243 

schools  which  they  have  attended.  Other  pupils  desiring  to  enter  do  so 
after  examination. 

The  High  school  contains  three  splendidly  equipped  laboratories:  — 
one  for  chemical  experimentation,  one  for  Physics,  and  the  third  for 
Botany.  A  fair  reference  library  has  been  accumulated.  Only  those  books 
which  are  in  greatest  demand  have  as  yet  been  secured  because  of  the 
large  section  of  reference  books  in  the  public  library  which  is  available 
for  school  pupils. 

The  Lincoln  school  for  colored  children  also  maintains  a  high  school 
department  having  the  same  courses  of  study  as  the  central  high  school. 
The  enrollment  in  this  school  is  not  large,  so  that  there  has  never  been 
a  demand  for  all  subjects  of  study  included  in  the  courses. 

Since  its  establishment  in  1897  the  enrollment  at  the  High  School 
has  varied  from  238  to  298  per  year.  The  total  number  of  'graduates  has 
been  2G7,  of  whom  67  were  boys  and  200  girls.  There  have  been  24 
graduates  of  the  Lincoln  School  of  whom  6  were  boys  and  18  girls. 

In  concluding  this  sketch  of  the  Wheeling  schools  it  should  be  said 
that  the  schools  to-day  are  well  equipped;  the  teachers  are  earnest  and 
enthusiastic,  the  Board  of  Education  desirous  of  doing  whatever  will 
permanently  advance  the  educational  interests  of  the  community.  With 
the  substantial  foundation  laid  in  the  past  and  with  the  present  encour- 
aging conditions,  the  educational  work  of  this  community  should  continue 
to  maintain  its  present  high  state  of  efficiency  and  keep  its  present 
position  abreast  of  the  best  educational  thought  and  practice  of  our 
country. 


History  of  the  Public  Schools  of  Williamson. 

BY  MISS  MAY  WILES,  MBS.  EFFIE  WAED  AND  C.  B.  MUBBAY. 

Mingo  County  was  created  in  1895  by  an  act  of  the  Legislature  which 
cut  in  half  the  old  County  of  Logan.  Williamson,  which  two  years  before 
had  been  an  old  pasture  field  was  made  the  county  seat. 

The  region  has  been  largely  peopled  by  the  descendants  of  the  early 
settlers  who  established  their  Lares  and  Penates  on  the  banks  of  the 
placid  Tug  River  because  the  hunting  and  fishing  thereabouts  were 
good,  and  work  was  not  absolutely  necessary  to  a  comfortable  existence. 
Education  was  considered  somewhat  of  a  luxury  in  the  early  days, — a 
veneer  which  the  stalwart  Nimrods  and  Isaac  Waltons  despised.  Money 
was  scarce,  teachers  hard  to  be  procured,  and  school  houses  hardly  at 
all. 

Prior  to  the  establishment  of  the  town,  however,  there  stood  a 
little  log  cabin,  used  for  a  school  house,  near  the  location  of  the  present 
Norfolk  and  Western  passenger  depot.  When  a  master  could  be  had 
school  was  usually  "kept"  here  about  four  months  out  of  the  year.  Away 
back  in  the  earlier  days  it  had  been  kept  by  many  a  master  of  "ye  olden 
time,"  of  about  the  type  that  then  prevailed,  who,  with  birchen  rod  in 


244  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

hand,  diligently  taught  "readin,'  writ  in',  and  'rithmetic,"  without  neg- 
lecting McGuffey's  old  blue  backed  speller.  Not  a  few  of  the  older  citi- 
zens of  the  town  obtained  their  education  mostly  at  this  unpretentious 
temple  of  learning. 

With  the  growth  of  the  town  various  other  buildings,  usually  rented, 
and  very  ill-suited  to  the  purpose,  were  used  for  school  rooms,  and  final- 
ly in  1000  a  large  and  commodious  frame  structure  was  built  on  an  emi- 
nence at  the  rear  of  the  town.  This  building  still  stands  on  the  same 
lot  and  at  the  rear  of  the  large  brick  building  now  in  course  of  construc- 
tion. It  will  probably  soon  be  dismantled. 

Perhaps  the  greatest  detriment  to  the  ducational  advancement  of  the 
town  was  the  fact  that  for  many  years  the  Board  of  Education  which 
controlled  the  public  schools  was  mostly  composed  of  members  who  were 
non-residents  of  the  town,  and  who  did  not  realize,  perhaps  did  not  care 
about  the  real  educational  needs  of  the  town.  These  were  frequently  res- 
idents of  remote  rural  districts,  and  the  greater  part  of  their  time  and  at- 
tention was  apparently  given  to  other  interests  than  those  of  the  town 
school.  There  were  many  teachers  of  earnestness  and  ability  who 
taught  during  this  time,  prominently  among  whom  might  be  mentioned 
Mrs.  C.  E.  Stevenson  (nee  Miss  Edna  Harris),  Professor  Payne  who  came 
here  from  New  York,  Mrs.  Chafin,  and  the  much  respected  Squire  J.  F. 
Keyser.  But  the  school  was  lacking  in  all  the  advantages  that  pertain  to  a 
well  ordered  organization  and  the  best  of  teachers  could  not  secure  the 
results  which  their  efforts  merited. 

By  the  year  1905  the  citizens  of  the  town  had  come  to  the  conclusion 
that  their  interests  demanded  a  separate  organization  from  the  rest  of 
the  towns  of  the  District  so  they  went  to  the  Legislature  and  secured 
the  formation  of  an  independent  district.  At  the  election  of  a  Board  of 
Education  the  following  gentlemen  were  elected: 

Mr.  Anthony  Thompson;  Dr.  S.  J.  Tabor;  Mr.  G.  R.  C.  Wiles;  Mr.  C. 
E.  Stevenson;  Mr.  E.  P.  Randolph.  With  the  exception  of  Mr.  B.  R. 
Bias,  appointed  to  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Thomp- 
son, the  membership  of  the  board  remains  yet  the  same.  Mr.  W.  L. 
French  was  chosen  as  Secretary.  This  membership  constitutes  a  board 
of  unusually  high  ability  and  whatever  advances  the  schools  have  yet 
made  are  largely  due  to  their  administrative  skill. 

Below  is  given  a  list  of  teachers  who  have  taught  within  the  limits 
of  the  town  back  to  its  incorporation  in  1893.  The  short  terms  of  ser- 
vice and  continual  changing  which  do  so  much  to  hurt  the  efficiency  of 
our  rural  schools  are  well  shown  in  this  list,  for  it  was  rarely  that  a 
teacher  was  allowed  two  terms  of  consecutive  service.  The  list  is  as 
furnished  by  Mrs  C.  E.  Stevenson,  with  the  exception  of  one  year.  It 
will  be  seen  that  the  principal  immediately  preceding  the  formation 
of  the  independent  district  was  Professor  Payne.  He  came  here  from 
the  North,  where  he  had  served  in  important  positions  in  the  schools  of 
New  York  and  Pennsylvania,  and  probably  did  as  good  service  in  this 
position  as  the  condition  of  the  school  under  the  magisterial  district 
board  would  allow. 

1893-4       Miss  Edna  Harris. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  245 

1894  -  Mr.  Clingingpeel  and  Mr.  Slater. 
1895-6       Squire  J.  P.  Keyser  and  Miss  Cordie  Tiller. 
189G-7       Mrs.  Harry  Lawson  and  Mrs.  Simpkins. 
1897  -  8       Mr.  Clingingpeel  and  Mrs.  Hutchinson. 
1898-9       Mr.  Simpkins  and  Miss  Clark. 
1899-1900  Mrs.    Stephenson  and   Mr.   Floyd   Alley. 
1900-01     Mr.  P.  Clay  and  Mr.  Stone. 
1901-02     Mr.   P.  Clay,  Mr.   Stone,  Mrs.   Stone. 

1902  -  03  Mr.  Clay,  Mrs.  Stephenson,  Mrs.  Chafin. 

1903  -  04     Prof.  Payne,  Miss  Wiles,  Mrs.  Chafin. 
1904-05     Prof.  Payne,  Mrs.  Stephenson,  Mr.  Slater. 

After  the  formation  of  the  Independent  District  Mr.  C.  R.  Murray, 
then  principal  of  the  Piedmont  Schools,  was  elected  to  the  newly  created 
office  of  Superintendent  of  Schools.  The  following  corps  of  teachers  was 
elected:  Miss  Elza  Williams,  Miss  Mary  Wiles,  Miss  Katharine  Kearney, 
Mrs.  Effie  Ward:  Miss  Rosa  Smith  was  teacher  of  the  colored  school. 
For  the  year  of  1906-7  the  same  teaching  force  for  the  white  schools  was 
elected,  with  the  addition  of  Miss  Ida  Harris,  and  Miss  Persis  Sherman; 
Miss  Mary  Clifford  was  elected  to  the  colored  school,  but  had  to  resign  on 
account  of  sickness,  and  the  place  was  filled  with  Mr.  L.  D.  Lawson. 

The  present  outlook  of  the  Williamson  Public  Schools  is  good.  A 
fine  large  brick  building  is  nearing  completion,  which  will  ultimately 
be  a  twelve  room  building.  The  schools  have  instruction  in  music  and 
the  Bible  throughout  all  the  grades,  which  constitute  a  somewhat  un- 
usual addition  to  the  course  for  a  small  school.  The  school  is  organized 
with  reference  to  the  use  of  the  so-called  "Batavia"  system  of  individual 
instruction.  Many  improvements  are  contemplated  as  soon  as  it  is  pos- 
sible to  adopt  them;  and  it  is  the  determination  of  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion to  make  the  school  system  one  of  the  best  in  the  State. 

The  schools  have  not  neglected  to  perform  their  part  in  the  great 
school  library  movement  that  is  in  progress  all  over  the  State.  As  the 
result  of  a  years  work  in  this  direction  a  well  equipped  school  library 
of  about  500  volumes  has  been  secured,  and  forms  an  important  part  of 
the  working  equipment  of  the  school. 

The  population  of  the  town  is  now  about  3500  and  when  the  public 
schools  enter  their  fine  new  home  next  year,  the  town  will  be  quite 
well  provided  for  in  an  educational  way,  for  in  addition  to  the  Public 
Schools  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  maintains  a 
Presbyterial  Academy,  which  employs  several  teachers  under  the  super- 
vision of  Professor  Morrison,  who  is  a  thoroughly  competent  school  man. 


DENOMINATIONAL  AND  PRIVATE  INSTITUTIONS. 


Bethany  College. 

BY   PRESIDENT   T.   E.    CBAMBLET. 

The  charter  of  Bethany  College  was  procured  from  the  Legislature  of 
Virginia  in  1840  by  John  C.  Campbell,  of  Wheeling.  The  establishment 
of  an  institution  for  the  promotion  of  higher  Christian  education  was  for 
many  years  the  cherished  purpose  and  desire  of  Alexander  Campbell,  the 
illustrious  founder.  When  fifty  years  old,  he  published  in  the  Millennial 
Harbinger,  the  plan  and  purpose  of  the  institution  which  a  little  later,  he 
inaugurated  at  Bethany.  The  first  session  of  the  college  was  opened  in 
the  fall  of  1841.  Mr.  Campbell  insisted  that  as  the  Bible  is  the  basis 
of  the  highest  and  truest  culture,  it  should  form  an  integral  part  in  the 
college  education.  For  a  long  time,  Bethany  was  tne  only  American 
college  using  the  Bible  as  a  text  book.  Until  recent  years  a  great  ma- 
jority of  the  colleges  and,  what  is  even  more  surprising,  many  theolog- 
ical seminaries  had  no  place  in  their  course  for  a  systematic  study  of 
the  Bible. 

The  first  faculty  of  Bethany  College  was  as  follows:  Alexander  Camp- 
bell, President  and  Professor  of  Mental  Philosophy,  Moral  Science,  Polit- 
ical Economy  and  Sacred  History;  Prof.  A.  F.  Ross,  Professor  of  Ancient 
Languages;  Chas.  Stewart,  Professor  of  Mathematics;  W.  K.  Pendleton, 
Professor  of  Natural  Philosophy,  Astronomy  and  Natural  History;  Robt. 
Richardson,  Professor  of  Chemistry;  W.  W.  Eaton,  Professor  of  English 
Literature. 

The  first  classes  each  day  met  at  half  past  six  in  the  morning.  That 
was  the  hour  of  the  President's  lecture  on  sacred  history,  for  Bible  read- 
ing and  worship. 

There  were  no  graduates  until  July,  1844.  During  the  sixty-three 
years  of  Bethany's  honorable  and  useful  history,  almost  ten  thousand 
young  people  have  entered  her  halls  as  students.  Thousands  of  these 
have  graduated  in  the  several  departments.  In  the  roll  of  Bethany's  stu- 
dents and  Alumni,  the  ministers  of  the  gospel  far  outnumber  those  of 
any  other  calling.  Never  a  class  has  graduated  without  having  in  its 
number,  a  goodly  portion  of  ministerial  students.  However,  Bethany 
takes  quite  as  much  pride  in  the  rank  as  in  the  number  of  the  minis- 
terial alumni.  Many  are  men  of  pre-eminent  ability  and  scholarship. 
No  less  than  twenty  of  these  are  serving,  or  have  served  as  presidents  of 
American  colleges  and  universities.  Eternity  alone  can  measure  the 
honorable  and  faithful  part  Bethany  trained  men  and  women  have  filled 
and  shall  yet  fill  in  the  world's  work. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  247 

It  must  not  be  understood  that  Bethany  is  a  college  solely  for  min- 
isterial training.  The  Ministerial  Course  is  only  a  department  of  the 
-college.  The  courses  offered  are:  the  Classical,  Scientific,  Ministerial, 
Philosophical,  Civil  Engineering,  Normal,  Music,  Art,  Oratory,  Book* 
keeping;  Shorthand  and  Typewriting. 

While  a  distinctly  religious  atmosphere  is  maintained,  and  while 
most  of  the  students  and  professors  are  connected  with  the  religious 
body  known  as  the  Disciples  of  Christ,  yet  it  is  maintained  that  the  col- 
lege is  not  sectarian.  No  religious  test  is  required  of  professors,  stu- 
dents or  trustees.  Almost  every  religious  body  is  represented  in  the 
student  body  and  all  are  accorded  the  right  to  choose  in  these  matters 
for  themselves. 

Dr.  F.  D.  Power,  in  his  life  of  Dr.  W.  K.  Pendleton,  thus  truthfully 
speaks  of  Bethany's  service  to  the  religious  world:  "It  was  not  the 
gigantic  figure  of  Campbell  alone,  however,  that  made  Bethany,  nor  his 
modest  press  that  shook  the  world  of  religjpus  thought.  The  college 
founded  by  him,  and  the  multiplication  of  that  single  voice  by  a  thousand 
voices,  pleading  for  the  return  of  God's  people  to  the  ancient  and  Apos- 
tolic order  of  things,  have  moved  society  as  no  single  person,  however 
great,  could  move  it.  Evangelists,  missionaries  and  teachers  have  gone 
out  from  this  fountain  head,  establishing  churches  and  missions  and 
schools  and  colleges  and  printing  presses  and  these  in  turn  have  be- 
come centers  of  light,  and,  leading  and  moulding  the  thought  and  moving 
the  lives  of  hundreds  of  thousands.  Eliminate  Bethany  from  the  his- 
tory and  work  of  the  movement  of  Mr.  Campbell  and  what  would  it  be? 
How  the  streams  would  narrow  and  dry  up!  This  great  and  good  man, 
to  whom  more  than  to  any  other  in  the  wonderful  nineteenth  century, 
where  God  placed  him  and  to  whom  the  whole  world  of  Christendom 
owes  a  debt,  was  far  sighted  when  he  laid  the  foundation  of  an  institu- 
tion of  learning  among  the  hills  of  Virginia.  He  knew  how  mightily  it 
would  increase  the  force  of  his  plea.  He  was  not.  mistaken." 

Alexander  Campbell,  the  first  President  of  the  college,  presided 
over  its  destinies  until  his  death  in  1866.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  son- 
in-law,  Dr.  W.  K.  Pendleton,  who  had  been  a  professor  in  the  institu- 
tion since  its  founding  in  1841.  W.  H.  Woolery  was  the  third  president. 
His  administration,  which  gave  promise  of  greater  things,  was  abruptly 
terminated  by  his  sudden  and  untimely  death  in  1889.  A.  McLean  was 
chosen  to  succeed  Mr.  Woolery^  and  after  two  years,  he  resigned,  and 
Hugh  McDiarmid  became  the  fifth  president.  B.  C.  Hagerman  filled  the 
office  for  four  years  and  J.  M.  Kersey  for  two  years.  The  present  occu- 
pant of  the  office  is  Thomas  E.  Cramblet,  A.  M.,  LL.  D.,  who  was  elected 
to  the  office  in  August,  1901. 

The  condition  and  prospects  of  the  college,  at  this  writing  are  re- 
garded by  the  friends  generally  as  the  most  hopeful  for  many  years.  The 
attendance  has  been  more  than  doubled  during  the  past  two  years.  Last 
session,  1905-06,  the  total  enrollment,  not  counting  the  matriculation  in 
the  summer  school,  was  264.  For  the  present  session,  1906-07  the  at- 
tendance is  considerably  larger  than  the  last,  and  will  reach  almost,  if 
not  quite  300. 


248  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

The  college  now  has  $200,000.00  of  productive  endowment  besides 
some  $25,000.00  more,  which  will  become  productive  later  on.  The  funds 
of  the  institution  are  invested  permanently  and  safely  through  the 
agency  of  the  Mercantile  Trust  Co.  and  the  Fidelity  Title  &  Trust  Co. 
of  Pittsburg,  Pa.  An  effort  is  being  made  to  add  another  $100,000.00 
to  the  endowment  fund. 

The  college  buildings  have  been  thoroughly  repaired  and  are  in  bet- 
ter condition  than  for  many  years.  The  Phillips  Hall,  the  dormitory 
for  young  ladies  under  the  competent  care  and  supervision  of  the  Dean 
of  Women,  is  an  ideal  home  for  young  ladies. 

The  transformation  of  Commencement  Hall  into  a  modern,  thoroughly 
equipped  dormitory  for  young  men  has  been  completed  and  is  a  most 
gratifying  success.  Both  dormitories  are  supplied  with  steam-heat,  elec- 
tric lights,  baths,  sewerage,  and  all  the  modern  conveniences. 

The  college  has  just  completed  a  new  $20,000.00  library  building,  the 
gift  of  Mr.  Andrew  Carnegie.  This  is  a  three  story  building  and  adds 
much  to  the  general  equipment  of  the  college.  In  1905  a  new  gymnasium 
was  erected.  This,  in  all  respects,  supplies  the  need  of  the  student  body 
for  Physical  Culture. 

Bethany  has  been  sbmewhat  hindered  in  her  growth  by  being  located 
seven  miles  from  the  railroad  station  at  Wellsburg.  This  disadvantage 
is  about  to  be  removed.  A  first  class  trolley  line  connecting  with  Wheel- 
ing, Steubenville  and  other  Ohio  valley  cities,  is  at  this  writing  almost 
completed  to  Bethany,  and  within  a  few  weeks  Bethany  will  have  half- 
hour  service  to  and  from  these  cities. 

With  a  larger  attendance  than  ever  before  in  her  history,  with  the 
largest  endowment  the  college  has  ever  had  with  modern  dormitories,  for 
both  men  and  women,  with  electric  lights  and  water  works,  with  a  new 
library  building,  new  gymnasium  and  a  new  trolley  system;  with  build- 
ings repaired  and  in  good  condition;  with  a  competent  faculty  of  six- 
teen able  instructors,  and,  above  all,  with  the  renewed  confidence  and 
co-operation  of  thousands  of  friends,  Bethany's  future  promises  even  great- 
er things  than  her  glorious  past. 


West  Virginia  Wesleyan  College. 

BY    PRESIDENT   JOHN   WIEB,    A.    M.    D.    D. 

The  educational  institution  at  Buckhannon,  maintained  by  the  West 
Virginia  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  is  one  of  the 
finest  educational  institutions  of  our  State. 

In  West  Virginia  many  years  ago  the  Methodists  supported  an  acad- 
emy at  Clarksburg.  The  unhappy  misunderstanding  and  division  of 
1844  proved  fatal  to  this  school,  and  for  over  forty  years  the  Methodists 
of  the  State  were  without  a  school  of  their  own.  After  the  Civil  War  was 
over  and  the  new  State  firmly  established,  American  Methodism  celebrat- 
ed its  centennial  in  1866.  At  this  time  much  work  for  education  was 
done  in  the  country,  and  West  Virginia  Methodists  began  the  effort  for 


ALEXANDER  CAMPBELL, 
Founder  of  Bethany  College. 


NEW  LIBRARY  BUILDING,  BETHANY. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  249- 

a  school  which  never  entirely  ceased  until,  after  years  of  waiting,  it  was 
rewarded  with  great  success. 

In  1876  Buckhannon  presented  to  a  committee  of  the  West  Vir- 
ginia Conference  a  subscription  of  $6,750.00  for  the  location  of  a  seminary 
in  the  town;  but  the  Conference  did  not  accept  the  offer  then.  In  1883 
the  conference  appointed  a  committee  on  the  centennial  observance  of  the 
formal  organization  in  1784  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  This 
committee  recommended  the  establishment  of  a  seminary  as  an  import- 
ant object  for  the  gifts  of  the  people.  In  1884  the  Conference  was  held 
at  Buckhannon,  and  it  appointed  a  Board  of  Trustees  for  the  proposed 
Seminary.  This  consisted  of  A.  J.  Lyda,  Chairman;  L.  L.  Stewart,  Sec- 
retary; D.  H.  K.  Dix  Treasurer;  T.  B.  Hughes  and  Samuel  Steele. 

This  board  received  contributions  during  the  year  and  in  1885  the 
conference  elected  a  board  of  eight  ministers  and  eight  laymen  whose 
duty  it  was  to  receive  proposals  for  the  erection  and  endowment  of  a 
seminary,  the  conference  to  decide  where  it  should  be  located.  The 
ministers  were  A.  J.  Lyda,  L.  H.  Jordan,  J.  A.  Fullerton,  Samuel  Steele, 
E.  H.  Orwen,  L.  L.  Stewart,  H.  J.  Boatman  and  A.  B.  Rohrbough.  The 
layman  were  H.  C.  McWhorter,  H.  K.  List,  J.  C.  McGrew,  A.  M.  Pound- 
stone,  B.  F.  Martin,  Samuel  Woods,  Henry  Logan  and  Nathan  Goff.  Judge 
McWhorter  and  Capt.  Poundstone,  are  still  on  the  Board  of  Trustees.  In 
1886  death  removed  Dr.  Samuel  Steele  and  Hon.  Nathan  Goff.  Rev.  J.  W. 
Reger,  D.  D.,  was  chosen  in  place  of  Dr.  Steele,  and  his  name  is  very  close- 
ly connected  with  the  whole  history  of  the  Seminary.  In  place  of  Mr. 
Goff,  John  A.  Barnes  was  chosen  and  he  is  still  on  the  board. 

Various  places  in  the  State  were  desirous  of  securing  the  location 
of  the  Seminary  with  them.  Parkersburg  and  Elizabeth  may  be  men- 
tioned among  these.  On  July  13,  1887,  the  trustees  met  at  Philippi  to  de- 
cide upon  the  place,  and  the  vote  was  in  favor  of  Buckhannon.  Two 
days  later  the  trustees  proceeded  to  Buckhannon  to  select  a  site  but  did 
not  succeed.  On  August  29th  they  met  again  and  purchased  a  tract  of 
a  little  over  forty-three  acres  for  $5,551.87.  In  October  1887  the  con- 
ference met  at  Parkersburg  and  these  proceedings  were  ratified.  The 
trustees  were  also  directed  to  proceed  with  the  erection  of  buildings.  The 
main  building  was  finally  completed  during  the  summer  of  1890,  and  on 
September  3rd  of  that  year  the  school  was  opened.  A  month  later  the 
conference,  which  was  in  session  at  Weston,  came  in  a  body  to  Buck- 
hannon, and  the  building  was  dedicated  by  Bishop  Cyrus  D.  Foss.  From 
the  opening  to  the  present  the  school  has  moved  forward  in  a  career  of 
unbroken  prosperity. 

The  first  president  of  the  institution  was  Rev.  B.  W.  Hutchison, 
A.  M.,  B.  D.  Mr.  Hutchison  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  He  gradu- 
ated at  Ohio  Wesleyan  University  and  then  entered  the  ministry.  Later 
he  went  north  and  graduated  at  the  Theological  School  of  Boston  Uni- 
versity, and  from  there  went  into  the  New  England  Southern  conference. 
While  a  pastor  at  Providence,  R.  L,  he  was  chosen  president  of  the  new 
institution.  Mr.  Hutchinson  was  a  man  of  scholarly  instincts,  high 
standards  and  excellent  business  qualities,  and  much  of  the  success  of 


250  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

the  school  is  due  to  his  energy  and  wisdom.  Early  in  1898  he  resigned 
to  accept  a  similar  position  at  Lima,  N.  Y.  He  has  been  successful 
there,  and  in  1901  he  received  the  degree  of  D.  D.  from  Syracuse  Uni- 
versity. 

President  Hutchison  began  with  a  faculty  of  three  teachers  besides 
himself.  During  the  first  year  three  more  were  added.  There  were 
seventy  pupils  enrolled  during  the  first  term.  During  the  year  201  differ- 
ent students  received  instruction.  From  that  time  on  every  year  until 
the  fire  in  1905  had  larger  enrollment.  The  enrollment  of  the  year  before 
the  fire  (1904-5)  was  550.  Since  the  restoration  from  the  fire  the  enroll- 
ment is  rapidly  growing. 

The  work  in  the  school  has  been  continually  increasing.  At  first  it  was 
confined  to  common  English  branches  and  the  elementary  classics  pur- 
.  sued  in  preparation  for  college.  Then  a  musical  department  was  added 
and  a  department  of  art  followed.  In  the  spring  term  of  the  first  year  a 
business  department  was  added  and  all  these  varieties  of  work,  have 
been  constantly  maintained. 

The  tendency  has  been  to  raise  the  standard  for  admission  and  con- 
stantly add  studies  of  higher  and  higher  grades.  The  school  was  char- 
tered with  full  powers,  but  not  till  June,  1903,  did  the  Board  of  Trustees 
raise  the  courses  to  full  college  grade.  The  standard  is  that  prescribed 
by  the  University  Senate  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  these 
courses  have  been  approved  by  the  Senate. 

In  1891  five  persons,  one  man  and  four  women,  received  diplomas  as 
the  first  graduating  class.  The  first  male  graduate  was  William  B.  Cut- 
right,  now  a  lawyer  in  Buckhannon.  The  class  of  1906  numbered  49. 
There  have  been  in  all  over  400  graduates  from  the  various  courses.  1905 
saw  the  first  graduates  in  regular  college  work. 

In  1895  the  State  Legislature  passed  a  law  which  authorized  the  State 
Board  of  Examiners  to  grant  teachers'  certificates  to  graduates  of  the 
Seminary.  This  to  some  extent  makes  it  a  State  Normal  School;  but 
there  is  no  connection  with  the  State  government  except  by  this  recog- 
nition of  its  work.  It  has  sent  out  a  large  number  of  teachers  to  the 
public  schools  of  the  State,  besides  those  who  are  teaching  in  private 
schools  in  other  states.  In  the  Seminary  diplomas  are  given  in  the  Clas- 
sical, Scientfic,  Literary,  Normal,  Musical,  Engineering  and  Commercial 
Courses.  Besides  these,  certificates  are  given  to  students  of  the  Business 
College  who  complete  short  courses.  In  the  college  the  usual  de- 
grees are  conferred. 

Like  most  schools  in  this  section  of  the  country  the  institution  is 
co-educational.  Ladies  and  gentlemen  are  admitted  on  termfa  of  perfect 
equality  and  work  together  in  the  classes  without  any  unpleasant  re- 
sults. A  reasonable  amount  of  very  pleasant  romance  has  grown  out 
of  this  fact  and  thus  far  the  history  of  the  school  is  free  from  any 
tale  of  scandal.  It  is  hoped  and  expected  that  it  will  always  continue 
so. 

The  moral  and  religious  tone  of  the  school  has  always  been  high. 
While  it  was  established  and  is  controlled  by  one  religious  denomina- 


WEST  VIRGINIA  251 

tion,  it  has  never  been  sectarian.  Several  different  churches  have  been 
represented  in  its  faculty  and  its  students  have  been  from  a  great  variety 
of  denominations.  Even  Jewish  pupils  have  been  received  and  treated 
with  perfect  courtesy  in  the  work  of  the  school.  No  institution  could  be 
more  free  from  religious  bigotry,  and  the  clergymen  of  all  the  Buckhan- 
non  churches  are  in  most  pleasant  relations  with  the  school.  The  stu- 
dents themselves  choose  which  church  they  will  attend  in  the  town,  and 
on  any  Sunday  in  term  time  students  can  be  found  in  every  local  con- 
gregation. 

The  buildings  are  on  a  hill  rising  with  a  gentle  slope  in  the  south- 
east part  of  the  town.  They  consist  at  present  of  the  administration  build- 
ing, the  ladies'  hall,  conservatory  of  music  and  the  president's  residence. 
The  first  is  an  imposing  edifice  built  of  brick.  It  contains  the  necessary 
offices,  many  recitation  rooms,  two  halls  for  literary  societies  and  a  chapel 
which  will  seat  1500  people. 

President  Hutchinson  resigned  in  February,  1898,  and  from  then  until 
the  close  of  the  vear  the  Seminary  was  in  charge  of  Professor  Frank  B. 
Trotter.  In  the  following  June  the  trustees  elected  the  Rev.  S.  L.  Boyers, 
A.  M.,  D.  D.,  to  the  presidency  of  the  institution.  Mr.  Boyers  was  a  native 
of  West  Virginia,  but  as  a  student  and  clergyman  had  for  some  time 
been  absent  from  the  State.  He  was  a  graduate  of  the  Ohio  Wesleyan 
University  and  at  the  time  of  his  election  was  pastor  of  an  important 
church  at  Ada,  Ohio.  He  continued  in  charge  of  the  Seminary  for  two 
years.  The  progress  of  the  school  continued  under  his  administration. 
After  two  years  Mr.  Boyers  resigned  the  presidency  and  returned  to  pas- 
toral work.  Rev.  John  Wier,  A.  M.,  D.  D.,  succeeded  President  Boyers 
in  June,  1900,  and  is  now  the  president  of  the  institution. 

The  Board  of  Trustees  consists  of  twenty-eight  members,  half  min- 
isters and  half  laymen.  Hon.  H.  C.  McWhorter,  Judge  in  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Appeals  of  the  State,  is  President  of  the  Trustees. 

It  is  appropriate  that  special  mention  be  made  of  a  few  of  the  teach- 
ers of  the  school  who  have  been  conspicuous  in  its  development.  First 
among  these  is  Professor  Frank  B.  Trotter,  A.  M.,  who  has  been  with 
the  school  since  its  founcung.  Professor  Trotter  is  a  graduate  of  Roanoke 
College,  and  completed  special  post-graduate  courses  at  Harvard  University. 
As  an  instructor  in  Latin  he  has  few  superiors.  As  an  administrator 
he  has  .given  ample  evidences  of  his  ability.  Since  1894  he  has  been 
vice-president  of  the  institution.  Professor  Trotter  has  had  to  do  with 
every  one  of  the  hundreds  of  graduates  sent  out  by  the  Seminary  and 
College,  and  the  impress  thus  made  upon  the  State  is  incalculable.  Pro- 
fessor Trotter  is  prominent  in  church  affairs,  and  sat  in  the  General  Con- 
ference in  1900. 

Another  instructor  whose  hand  has  been  felt  on  West  Virginia  ed- 
ucation is  Professor  W.  O.  Mills,  Ph.  B.  Professor  Mills  graduated  at 
Otterbein  University.  He  came  to  Buckhannon  to  assume  the  principal- 
ship  of  the  United  Brethren  Academy.  When  the  Academy  closed  in 
1897,  Professor  Mills  was  secured  for  the  Seminary  faculty.  He  is  an  able 
teacher  and  a  gentleman  of  the  highest  character.  Professor  Mills  has 


252  HISTORY  OP  EDUCATION 

had  charge  of  the  department  of  mathematics  since  his  coming  to  the 
school,  and  is  a  civil  engineer  of  ability. 

A  name  which  could  not  be  omitted  in  an  account  of  the  fashioning 
of  the  school  is  that  of  May  Esther  Carter,  B.  L.,  the  first  preceptress. 
Miss  Carter  is  a  graduate  in  Arts  of  the  Ohio  Wesleyan  University.  She 
came  to  Buckhannon  in  1895  to  assume  charge  of  the  new  Ladies'  Hall. 
Her%  deeply  spiritual  character,  cultivated  mind,  and  high  ideals  early 
gave  elevated  tone  to  the  life  of  the  hall.  The  hundreds  of  young  women 
who  came  under  her  influence  during  the  six  years  of  her  incumbency 
are  a  power  for  education  and  goodness  throughout  the  State.  Successful 
co-education  depends  in  large  measure  upon  those  directly  in  charge  of 
the  young  ladies. 

The  library  of  the  school  consists  of  some  7000  volumes.  These  books 
are  chiefly  donations  of  friends.  In  1901,  through  the  influence  of  Miss 
Adelaide  R.  Tompkins,  of  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  the  reading  room  was  refur- 
nished and  a  goodly  number  of  volumes  added  to  the  library. 

Through  the  gifts  of  Dr.  D.  K.  Pearsons  of  Chigago  and  others,  the 
college  possesses  a  substantial  endowment. 

In  Feb.  1905  fire  destroyed  the  college  building.  A  new  one,  costing, 
with  related  plants  some  $80,000.00,  has  been  erected  in  its  place. 


Morris  Harvey  College. 

BY  PRESIDENT  D.   W.    SHAW. 

This  institution  is  the  property  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
South.  It  was  incorporated  as  Barboursville  Seminary  in  1888,  under  the 
direction  of  Rev.  T.  S.  Wade,  D.  D.,  who  was  then  Presiding  Elder  of  the 
Charleston  District. 

Dr.  Wade,  with  the  assistance  and  co-operation  of  the  citizens  of 
the  community,  obtained  valuable  property  with  commodious  buildings 
for  school  purposes  in  the  town  of  Barboursville,  Cabell  county,  W.  Va., 
which  is  situated  on  Guyandotte  river  seven  miles  from  its  confluence 
with  the  Ohio.  It  is  accessible  from  all  points,  being  on  the  C.  &  O.  rail- 
road, one  of  the  great  routes,  which  makes  close  connection  with  all 
other  roads  in  the  State  and  neighboring  states.  This  location  is  unsur- 
passed for  healthfulness,  and  is  remarkably  free  from  evil  influences, 
there  being  no  saloons  within  ten  miles  of  the  place. 

The  school  was  opened  in  September,  1888,  with  the  following  faculty: 
Rev.  T.  S.  Wade,  D.  D.,  President  and  professor  of  mental  and  moral 
science;  Rev.  G.  W.  Hampton,  Vice-President  and  professor  of  mathematics 
and  ancient  languages;  Geo.  A.  Proffit,  master  accountant  of  bookkeeping 
and  assistant  in  mathematics  and  science;  Mrs.  G.  A.  Proffit,  B.  Sc.,  profes- 
sor in  German  and  English  literature;  Miss  Florence  Miller,  teacher  of 
French  and  rhetoric;  Miss  Maggie  Thornburg,  teacher  of  vocal  and  instru- 
mental music. 

During  this  first  year,  which  was  an  experiment,  the  success  was 


WKST  YiRMMA  253 

beyond  the  expectation  of  the  most  sanguine  friends  of  the  school,  there 
being  necessarily  much  to  do  in  order  to  get  the  institution  in  running 
order.  At  the  close  of  this  year  the  entire  institution  was  turned  over 
by  the  trustees  to  the  Western  Virginia  Conference  to  be  continued  as  a 
Conference  college  under  the  auspices  of  the  M.  B.  Church,  South,  and 
the  school  was  continued  during  the  year  1889  with  the  same  faculty. 
At  its  close  the  president  and  vice-president  resigned  and  Prof.  Robt.  W. 
Douthat,  A.  M.,  Ph.  D.,  was  elected  president,  and  Rev.  W.  W.  Royall, 
D.  D.,  vice-president  of  the  college.  Professor  and  Mrs.  Promt  and  Miss 
Maggie  Thornburg  continued  as  a  part  of  the  faculty 

Dr.  Douthat  was  a  very  efficient  president  and  leader,  and  did  good 
work  for  the  college,  but  resigned  in  1895  to  accept,  the  Chair  of  Ancient 
Languages  in  the  State  University  at  Morgantown. 

The  Rev.  J.  M.  Boland,  D.  D.,  pastor  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  South,  at  Parkersburg,  was  called  to  the  presidency  to  succeed 
Dr.  Douthat.  Dr.  Boland  made  an  educational  campaign  throughout  the 
Conference,  in  the  hope  of  bringing  the  college  before  the  people.  Early 
in  1896  he  resigned  to  return  to  the  pastorate,  and  was  succeeded  by  the 
vice-president,  J.  P.  Marshall,  A.  M.  Proffessor  Marshall  was  connected 
with  the  college  for  several  years  as  teacher  and  filled  out  the  year  1895-6, 
as  president. 

In  the  summer  of  1896  the  trustees  elected  T.  C.  Atkeson,  A.  M.,  Ph. 
D.,  President;  but  he  resigned  at  the  end  of  the  year  to  accept  the  Chair 
of  Agriculture  in  |he  State  University  at  Morgantown. 

"  In  1897  the  Rev.  Zephaniah  Meek,  D.  D.,  was  called  to  the  presidency 
and  served  one  year.  Dr.  Meek  is  a  man  of  strong  character  and  was 
at  one  time  a  leader  in  his  Conference. 

Rev.  S.  F.  McClung,  D.  D.,  became  president  and  educational  agent 
in  1898,  serving  two  years.  The  college  was  very  dear  to  Dr.  McClung, 
and  he  sought  in  every  way  possible  to  advance  its  interests.  After  his 
resignation  he  returned  to  the  ministry,  and  fell  at  his  post  in  Catletts- 
burg,  Ky.,  February,  1903. 

In  1900  D.  W.  Shaw,  A.  M.,  the  present  incumbent,  was  called  to  the 
presidency.  His  administration  has  been  characterized  by  an  increased 
interest,  and  a  complete  transformation  in  the  affairs  of  the  college. 

Prof.  Shaw  has  been  identified  with  school  work  all  his  life.  He 
has  associated  with  him  the  following:  J.  M.  Skinner,  A.  M..  Ph.  D.,  a 
man  of  wide  and  successful  experience;  Miss  M.  Willa  Bowden,  A.  B., 
Professor  of  Latin,  German,  French  and  English  Languages;  W.  O.  Ropp, 
Master  Accounts,  Commercial  Branches  and  Mathematics;  Miss  Frances 
Louise  Ellison,  M.  E.  L.,  Music  and  Elocution;  Prof.  D.  Blain  Shaw,  A.  B., 
Music — String  and  wind  Instruments;  Miss  Mariah  S.  Tipton,  English 
and  Dean  of  the  Department  of  Women;  Elizabeth  J.  Warner,  Assistant 
in  the  Department  of  Women;  Prof.  J.  L.  Stewart,  Mathematics  and 
Dean  of  the  Department  of  Men;  Miss  Nonie  Ford  McKnight,  Assistant 
in  Department  of  Music,  and  Miss  Bessie  Miller  Art. 

The  college  was  known  as  Barboursville  College  till  May  27,  1901, 
when,  in  consideration  of  the  benevolence  and  beneficence  of  that  prince 
in  Israel,  Mr.  Morris  Harvey,  in  the  gift  of  several  thousand  dollars 


254  HISTOBY  OF  EDUCATION 

to  the  school,  the-  Board  of  Trustees  thereof  changed  the  name  to  the 
Morris  Harvey  College.  The  charter  has  been  renewed  under  this  name, 
the  buildings  and  premises  have  been  greatly  improved  and  beautified,  and 
the  equipment  for  school  work,  including  apparatus,  has  been  liberally 
increased  and  strengthened. 

It  is  a  school  wherein  the  most  rapid  progress  can  be  made  by  those 
who  wish  to  develop,  refine,  and  equip  themselves  for  the  best  work 
in  life.  It  seeks  to  develop  faith  in  Christianity,  and  a  sensitive  con- 
science along  the  line  of  the  Decalogue  and  the  Golden  Rule;  and  it 
furnishes  the  most  thorough,  systematic  and  accurate  literary  and  scien- 
tific instruction  in  accordance  with  the  plan  developed  and  approved 
by  the  most  successful  educators  in  the  world.  In  short,  it  is  "progres- 
sive, but  not  reckless;  conservative,  but  not  fossilized." 

A  three-story  dormitory  for  young  ladies,  capable  of  accommodating 
fifty  students,  besides  the  family  in  charge,  has  just  been  completed, 
and  is  occupied. 

A  four-story  brick  building  for  gentlemen  has  been  erected  capable 
of  accommodating  seventy-five  students.  This  building  is  to  be  ready 
for  occupancy  at  the  opening  of  school  next  September.  Epworth  Hall 
formerly  used  as  a  dormitory  for  men  has  been  converted  into  a  music 
hall.  All  the  buildings  are  supplied  with  water  under  pressure,  are  light- 
ed with  electricity  and  heated  with  steam. 

The  courses  of  study  offered  are  the  Normal  and  Classical,  at  the 
completion  of  which  a  proper  certificate  is  granted  in  the  Normal  Course, 
or  the  degree  of  A.  B.  is  conferred  in  the  Classical  Course.  Besides  these, 
there  are  offered  special  courses  in  Music,  instrumental  and  vocal,  Art 
and  Business,  including  shorthand  and  typewriting,  at  the  completion 
of  which,  certificates  are  granted. 

The  real  estate  of  the  college  has  been  augmented  within  the  past 
year  by  the  purchase  of  over  twenty-one  acres  of  land.  On  this  the  men's 
building  above  mentioned,  has  been  erected.  On  this  land  is  also  a  large 
residential  building  which  will  be  used  as  the  men's  dormitory  the  rest 
of  the  present  college  year,  and  will  later  probably  be  converted  into  a 
gymnasium  for  women. 

The  institution  is  under  the  immediate  charge  of  a  Board  of  Trustees 
appointed  by  the  Annual  Conference. 

Following  are  the  names  of  the  members  of  this  Board: 

D.  W.  Shaw,  Ex  offtcio  Chairman. 

G.  W.  Harshbarger,  Esq.,  Secretary. 

Geo.  E.  Thornburg,  Esq.,  Treasurer. 

Rev.  W.  I.  Canter. 

Rev.  Ernest  Robinson. 

Rev.  A.  Lee  Barret. 

Rev.  C.  N.  Coffman. 

Hon.  H.  G.  Armstrong. 

The  Conference  Board  of  Education  has  supervisory  powers  over  this 
school  and  all  the  other  educational  interests  of  the  Conference.  This 
Board  consists  of: 

Rev.  J.  W.  Herring,  President. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  255 

Rev.  I.  N.  Fannin,  Secretary. 

Rev.  J.  W.  Crites. 

U.  V.  W.  Darlington. 

Rev.  W.  L.   Reid. 

Rev.  H.  M.  Smith. 

Rev.  Samuel  Robinson. 

Rev.  B.  M.  Keith. 

Rev.  A.  B.  Moore. 

Conference  Secretary  of  Education,  Rev.  S.  A.  Donahoe. 

Visiting  Committee,  Rev.  R.  T.  Webb,  and  Rev.  L.  S.  Cunningham. 

Conference  Treasurer,  Hon.  Holly  G.  Armstrong. 

Rev.  A.  Lee  Barret,  Supervisor  of  improvements  for  Morris  Harvey 
College.. 

All  regular  tuition  money  is  paid  over  to  the  Conference  Treasurer. 

This  school  year,  to  date,  January  1,  1907,  is  by  far  the  best  in  the 
history  of  the  institution,  and  the  outlook  is  very  encouraging. 

The  total  enrollment  for  last  year  was  208.  At  the  last  session  of  the 
Annual  Conference  an  agreement  was  reached  whereby  the  Allegheny  Col- 
legiate Institute  at  Alderson,  West  Virginia,  is  to  be  affiliated  with  this- 
College. 


Salem  College. 

BY    PRESIDENT    C.    R.    CLAWSON. 

Salem  College  was  incorporated  in  1889  under  a  charter  granted  by 
the  State.  Although  organized  in  accordance  with  the  requirements  of  the 
Educational  Society  of  the  Seventh  Day  Baptist  denomination  the  school 
is  non-sectarian.  People  of  many  religious  beliefs  joined  hands  in  its 
establishment  and  to  day  have  a  place  on  the  managing  board.  All  de- 
nominational preferences  are  most  carefully  respected  and  a  cordial  wel- 
come is  extended  to  students  of  every  faith. 

The  governing  power  of  the  College  is  vested  in  a  Board  of  Directors 
elected  for  a  term  of  four  years. 

The  buildings  are  located  on  a  commodious  campus  of  five  acres  in 
the  city  of  Salem  on  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  railroad,,  fourteen  miles 
from  Clarksburg  and  sixty-eight  miles  from  Parkersburg. 

The  library  contains  about  4000  volumes  besides  many  valuable 
pamphlets.  A  reading  room  in  connection  with  the  library  is  furnished 
with  the  daily  papers  and  various  periodicals  of  current  literature. 

The  College  offers  six  courses  of  study,  the  Classical,  Philosophical, 
Scientific,  Agricultural,  Normal,  and  Music.  The  Normal  course  is  pre- 
scribed by  the  state  and  state  certificates  are  granted  on  the  same  terms 
that  they  are  granted  to  the  graduates  of  the  Normal  Schools.  The 
Agricultural  course  has  been  added  in  conformity  with  the  belief  that  our 
country  needs  better  educated  farmers,  men  who  are  familiar  with  the 
soils  and  who  may  secure  the  greatest  amount  of  production  with  the 
least  expenditure  of  time  and  labor. 


25G  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

During  an  existence  of  nearly  twenty  years  the  College  has  been  main- 
tained by  the  contributions  of  friends  of  education  scattered  from  Maine 
to  California.  In  times  of  greatest  need  its  own  sons  and  daughters 
with  other  friends  in  the  Mountain  State  have  come  to  its  rescue  with 
substantial  aid.  The  school  is  well  established  and  has  elements  of  per- 
manency in  a  small  but  constantly  growing  endowment.  The  Scholarship 
plan  of  endowment  has  been  well  started.  This  enables  the  founder  of 
a  scholarship  to  name  its  beneficiary.  A  scholarship  fully  paid  amounts 
to  $800.00  which  must  ever  be  kept  on  interest,  the  income  only  to  be 
used.  Several  of  these  are  now  in  operation. 

During  the  eighteen  years  of  its  history  the  College  has  graduated 
eighty-one  persons.  Its  alumni  are  scattered  in  various  states  and  are 
filling  places  of  honor  and  trust  in  the  educational  and  literary  world. 

The  College  has  had  four  presidents:  J.  L.  Huffman,  S.  L.  Maxson, 
T.  L.  Gardiner,  and  C.  R.  Clawson. 


Powhatan  College. 

BY   W.  O.    SPEEB. 

Powhatan  College  is  organized  under  thoroughly  Christian  government, 
but  is  non-denominational.  It  owes  its  existence  to  the  liberal-hearted 
and  progressive  people  of  Charles  Town  and  Jefferson  County.  There 
had  been  for  some  time,  on  the  part  of  many  of  the  citizens,  a  great 
desire  to  have  established  at  Charles  Town  a  first-class  college  for  women. 
Many  noble  efforts  had  been  put  forth  and  as  many  defeats  sustained, 
but  through  it  all  there  remained  a  faithful  few,  loyal  to  the  enter- 
prise. In  1899,  these  led  chiefly  by  the  noble  efforts  of  Col.  R.  P.  Chew, 
formed  themselves  into  a  company,  with  a  determination  to  make  the  last 
and  mightiest  effort  of  their  lives  for  what  they  believed  was  one  of 
the  greatest  needs  of  the  age — more  real  colleges  for  women.  The  issue 
was  successful,  and  since  its  first  announcement  Powhatan  College  has 
met  with  a  success  unparalleled  by  that  of  any  independent  Woman's 
College  ever  opened  in  the  Virginias.  Its  permanency  is  now  established, 
its  field  of  work  peculiarly  its  own,  and  its  success  far  beyond  the  ex- 
pectations of  the  most  hopeful. 

Charles  Town  is  an  ideal  college  town,  located  at  the  junction  of  the 
Baltimore  and  Ohio,  and  the  Norfolk  and  Western  railroads,  in  the  very 
mouth  of  the  famous  Shenandoah  Valley.  It  has  a  thriving  population 
or  about  four  thousand  people,  and  the  culture,  refinement,  and  morality 
of  these  have  made  it  known  far  and  wide.  And  the  climate  and  health 
of  the  town  is  unsurpassed. 

The  main  college  building  is  most  modern,  commodious  and  beauti- 
ful. It  is  new  and  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  about  $70,000.  Every  nook 
and  corner  is  up-to-date  and  the  entire  building  is  heated  throughout 
"by  steam  and  lighted  by  both  gas  and  electricity. 

The  work  of  the  institution   is   divided   into   the   following   depart- 


CHAPEL  HALL,  WEST  LIBERTY 


POWHATAN  COLLEGE,  CHARLES  TOWN 


WEST  VIRGINIA  257 

ments:  Academic,  or  College  Department  proper,  Normal,  Commercial 
and  Business,  and  the  departments  of  Music,  Art,  and  Elocution. 

Each  of  these  departments  is  in  charge  of  a  Principal  with  compe- 
tent assistants  who  offer  modern  and  well  arranged  courses  of  study.  The 
college  department  offers,  in  addition  to  a  preparatory  course  of  three 
years,  the  Classical  and  Scientific  courses,  each  covering  a  period  of  four 
years'  study.  In  grade  these  courses  are  commensurate  with  those  of  the 
leading  colleges  for  young  women.  The  Freshman  class  begins  with 
such  studies,  as  English  Literature,  College  Algebra  (Quadratics),  Geom- 
etry, and  Cicero,  and  builds  upon  these  the  four  years'  courses. 

The  Normal  Department  is  maintained  especially  for  the  training  of 
teachers;  The  work  here  is  arranged  as  follows. 

1.  Common  School  Course.    This  course  covers  one  year  and  its  pur- 
pose is  to  give  those  who  can  spend  only  one  year  in  college,  a  thorough 
and  systematic  review  of  all  the  common  school  branches  with  a  view 
to  preparing  them  to  teach  in  the  public  schools. 

2.  The  Teacher's  Course,  a  three-year  course  with  one  year's  work 
in  Pedagogy. 

3.  The  Normal  Course,   a  four  years'   course  including  two  years' 
work  in  Pedagogy  and  actual  teaching  in  the  class  room.     Here  the  stu- 
dent gets  thorough  drill  in  classification,  organization  and  discipline,  and 
leaves  the  college  trained  especially  for  the  work. 

The  Departments  of  Music,  Art,  and  Elocution,  each  has  its  corps  of 
able  teachers  who  offer  full  and  complete  courses  in  all  branches  in  these 
departments. 

Powhatan's  success  has  been  phenomenal  and  it  stands  to-day  at  the 
very  head  of  the  women's  colleges  of  the  State.  This  success  is  due  to 
just  two  things:  First,  The  sound  and  thorough  training  which  sends 
out  students  prepared  to  meet  life  bravely,  to  think  independently  and 
to  judge  carefully.  Second,  The  administration  which  has  been  in  the 
same  hands  since  the  first  founding  of  the  institution.  When  the  project 
was  first  launched,  the  trustees  secured  Stewart  P.  Hatton,  LL.  D.,  as 
president  and  the  wisdom  of  their  choice  has  been  amply  proved  by 
the  continual  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  college.  A  trained  educator, 
indefatigable  in  his  work  for  the  school,  he  has  gradually  pushed  aside 
every  vestige  of  opposition  and  the  college  stands  to-day  as  a  pride  not 
-only  of  the  Eastern  Panhandle,  but  to  the  State  as  a  whole. 


Broaddus  Scientific  and  Classical  Institute. 

BY    BEV.    ELKANAH    HULLEY,    A.    M.,   PRINCIPAL. 
HISTORICAL   STATEMENT. 

In  1871  the  Rev.  E.  J.  Willis  succeeded  in  establishing  Broaddus 
College  at  Winchester,  Va.,  and  in  1876  it  was  removed  by  him  to 
Clarksburg,  W.  Va.,  and  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  the  State  a  year 
later.  For  a  number  of  years  it  was  under  a  board  of  trustees  appointed 


258  HISTOBY  OF  EDUCATION 

by  the  West  Virginia  Baptist  General  Association,  but  in  1893  it  passed 
out  of  the  hands  of  the  General  Association  and  became  Broaddus  Scien- 
tifiic  and  Classical  Institute,  receiving  from  the  State  a  new  charter. 

The  new  Charter  provides  that  the  school  shall  be  held  forever  in  the 
interests  of  the  Baptists  of  West  Virginia  under  the  direction  of  eleven 
trustees  who  shall  be  members  in  good  standing  of  a  regular  Baptist 
church,  and  that  they  shall  reside  in  West  Virginia. 

OBJECT. 

The  object  of  Broaddus  Institute  is  to  supply  a  well  defined,  obvious, 
urgent  educational  need  in  this  State.  The  purpose  of  the  school  is 
definite;  and  no  attempt  will  be  made  to  make  it  a  scoop-net  to  catch 
students  of  every  grade  and  age  and  kind.  Our  special  care  shall  ever  be 
quality  of  the  work  rather  than  the  number  of  students;  and  breadth  of 
culture  rather  than  training  of  specialists  is  the  thing  aimed  at  by  Broad- 
dus Institute. 

The  special  object  of  the  school  is  two-fold.  In  the  first  place,  it  will 
give  a  thorough  preparation  for  entrance  into  the  leading  colleges  of 
the  country.  In  the  second  place,  to  those  who  either  cannot  or  will  not 
take  a  regular  course,  it  will  give  a  thorough  mental  training  and  as 
broad  and  practical  a  foundation  of  knowledge  as  possible. 

LOCATION. 

Broaddus  Institute  is  located  at  Clarksburg,  on  the  Baltimore  & 
Ohio  Railroad,  at  the  southern  terminus  of  the  Monongahela  River  Rail- 
road, and  the  northern  terminus  of  the  West  Virginia  &  Pittsburg  Rail- 
road, and  the  southern  terminus  of  the  West  Virginia  Short  Line  Rail- 
road. Taking  everything  into  consideration,  there  is  no  better  location 
in  West  Virginia  for  a  school  of  this  kind. 

EQUIPMENTS CAMPUS. 

The  campus  consists  of  nearly  ten  acres,  less  than  ten  minutes'  walk 
from  the  postoffice.  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  it  is  so  nearly  the 
center  of  the  town,  it  is  a  very  retired  spot,  for  Elk  creek  almost  sur- 
rounds it  with  a  deep  canon,  and  there  is  left  only  one  approach.  Thus 
all  the  advantages  of  being  in  a  city  accrue  to  it  with  none  of  the  attend- 
ing disadvantages. 

The  campus  is  an  old  forest,  containing  more  than  200  shade  trees, 
many  of  which  are  oaks  of  large  size.  A  part  is  devoted  to  school  sports. 
There  are  three  well  made  tegjiis  courts,  croquet  grounds  and  a  coasting 
track.  These  furnish  excellent  facilities  for  out-door  exercises. 

BUILDINGS — WILLIS  HALL. 

Willis  Hall  was  built  by  E.  J.  Willis  and  for  many  years  was  the 
chief  building  of  the  Institute.  It  is  a  brick  building  of  three  stories 
and  basement,  containing  the  parlors,  music  rooms,  library  and  30  double 
dormitory  apartments.  The  whole  building  has  been  thoroughly  over- 
hauled and  made  modern  in  every  respect. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  259 

PAYNE   HALL. 

Payne  Hall  is  a  memorial  building  built  by  Mrs.  Belle  S.  Payne 
in  memory  of  her  husband,  Jed  G.  Payne,  who  for  many  years  had  been 
a  trustee  of  Broaddus.  It  is  a  brick  building  containing  the  offices,  class 
rooms,  dining  rooms,  22  dormitory  apartments  and  three  bath  rooms.  It  is 
finished  in  Georgia  pine,  oiled  and  varnished;  newly  carpeted  with  Brus- 
sels carpet;  papered  throughout,  and  heated  and  lighted  with  natural  gas. 

The  building  will  be  furnished  with  new  furniture  and  will  be  thor- 
oughly modern  in  every  respect.  It  supplies  a  long-felt  need,  for  Broad- 
dus has  been  very  much  crowded  of  late  years. 

THE  COTTAGE. 

During  the  spring  of  1902  a  fund  was  started  by  J.  L.  Newman  for  the 
purpose  of  erecting  a  cottage  for  boys.  Others  added  to  this  fund  till 
the  trustees,  recognizing  the  fact  that  much  better  work  can  be  done  by 
students  who  are  under  the  care  of  a  teacher,  the  trustees  built  upon  the 
campus,  during  the  summer  of  1902,  a  cottage  for  boys.  It  consists  of  14 
rooms  finished  in  Georgia  pine,  nicely  furnished  and  carpeted  with  Brus- 
sels carpet,  lighted  and  heated  with'  natural  gas,  and  equipped  with  a 
bath  and  all  modern  conveniences.  The  rooms  are  14x15  with  a  closet 
in  each  and  each  room  has  two  large  windows.  It  is  an  ideal  home  for 
young  men. 

This  affords  a  home  for  young  men  with  all  the  advantages  of  the 
presence  of  the  Boys'  Principal,  who  rooms  in  the  same  building. 

LIBRARY   AND  READING   ROOM. 

At  present  the  library  contains  nine  hundred  volumes.  Among  these 
are  standard  works  of  poetry,  fiction,  etc.  Valuable  additions  have  been 
made  during  the  past  year.  The  success  of  the  book  receptions,  given 
on  Washington's  birthday,  has  been  especially  gratifying.  In  connection 
with  the  library  there  is  an  excellent  reading  room,,  where  are  to  be  found 
the  leading  dailies  and  first-class  periodicals. 

AN    ENDOWMENT. 

In  December,  1900,  the  National  Baptist  Educational  Society  an- 
nounced to  the  trustees  of  Broaddus  Institute  that  it  would  give  to  Broad- 
dus as  an  endowment,  from  the  funds  furnished  by  John  D.  Rockefeller, 
the  sum  of  $5,000,  provided  that  the  Institute  would  raise  an  additional 
sum  of  $20,000,  of  which  $10,000  was  to  be  used  as  an  endowment. 

These  conditions  have  been  fully  met  and  the  Institute  has  an  endow- 
ment of  $10,000.00. 

COURSES  OF  STUDY. 

Three  courses  of  study  are  offered,  namely:  The  Classical  the  Scien- 
tific and  the  Normal.  It  is  the  design  of  the  Classical  and  Scientific 
Courses  to  prepare  students  for  entrance  to  first-class  colleges  and  espe- 
cially are  they  adapted  to  the  work  of  the  State  University  where  full 
credit  is  given  the  student  for  what  has  been  accomplished. 


260  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

The  Normal  Course  has  been  prepared  especially  for  those  who  de- 
sire to  be  teachers,  as  the  times  demand  that  those  in  the  profession  of 
teaching  shall  receive  professional  training.  In  this  course  studies 
have  been  introduced  designed  to  give  breadth  of  culture  and  special 
training  for  teachers.  The  graduates  from  this  course  receive  the  same 
credit  with  the  State  Board  of  Examiners  as  the  graduates  from  parallel 
courses  in  the  normal  schools  of  the  State.  It  is  the  aim  to  make  the 
Normal  Course  most  thorough  and  complete,  not  to  give  merely  a  per- 
spective of  what  is  required  to  be  taught,  but  to  give  thorough  knowledge 
and  substantial  training. 

PREPARATORY. 

A  Preparatory  Course  is  also  offered  for  those  who  come  to  us  not 
fully  prepared  for  either  of  the  regular  courses.  The  work  begins  with 
fractions  in  Arithmetic  and  in  the  other  common  branches  work  of  sim- 
ilar advancement  is  given. 

COURSES  OF  STUDY ACADEMIC  DEPARTMENT. 

The  course  of  study  consists  of  four  years  work  in  mathematics,  his- 
tory, literature,  science  and  ancient  and  modern  languages.  No  attempt 
is  made  to  do  collegiate  work,  but  to  prepare  for  entrance  into  the  best 
grade  of  colleges.  The  work  is  divided  into  a  normal,  a  scientific  and  a 
classical  course. 

MUSIC. 

A  thorough  course  of  four  years'  work  in  instrumental  and  vocal 
music  is  also  provided,  and  the  department  is  very  popular. 

Instruction  is  also  given  in  art  and  elocution  by  a  special  teacher. 

THE  FACULTY. 

The  faculty  consists  of  ten  teachers  with  Rev.  Elkanah  Hulley  as  prin- 
cipal. They  are  all  college  graduates  and  several  have  specially  prepared 
themselves  for  their  work  by  training  in  graduate  schools. 


Davis  and  Elkins  College. 

BY    JAMES    E.    ALLEN. 

Among  the  many  monuments  to  the  benificence  and  generosity  of  the 
Hon.  H.  G.  Davis  and  Hon.  S.  B.  Elkins,  perhaps  the  greatest  and  most 
useful  of  all  is  the  Davis  and  Elkins  College,  which  first  opened  its  doors 
to  the  public  in  September  1904. 

These  gentlemen  having  in  mind  the  building  of  a  high-grade  college 
at  Elkins,  West  Virginia,  a  town  that  they  had  founded,  and  desiring 
the  college  to  be  under  the  control  of  religious  influence,  made  a  propo- 
sition in  1899  to  the  representatives  of  Lexington  Presbytery  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  in  the  United  States,  looking  to  the  establishment  of  such 


WEST  VIRGINIA  261 

an  institution.  Lexington  Presbytery,  through  its  accredited  representa- 
tives, after  a  consideration  of  the  terms  of  the  proposition  aforesaid,  in- 
vited Winchester  Presbytery  to  join  in  accepting  the  same.  This  Win- 
chester Presbytery  did.  Hon.  Henry  G.  Davis,  Senator  Stephen  B.  Elk- 
ins,  Hon.  C.  Wood  Daily  and  Rev.  Frederick  H.  Barren,  all  of  Elkins,  W. 
Va.,  Rev.  F.  M.  Woods,  D.  D.,  of  Martinsburg,  W.  Va.,  Rev.  G.  W.  Finley, 
D.  D.,  of  Fishersville,  Va.,  Rev.  A.  M.  Frazier,  D.  D.,  of  Staunton,  Va., 
Rev.  A.  H.  Hamilton,  of  Steeles  Tavern,  Va.,  and  Hon.  John  J.  Davis,  of 
Clarksburg,  W.  Va.,  were  chosen  as  trustees. 

Later,  Senator  Elkins  gave  twenty-five  acres  of  land,  finely  situated 
about  one-half  mile  from  the  town,  as  a  campus  and  site  for  the  college 
buildings.  In  addition  to  this  gift  ex-Senator  Davis  contributed  the  sum 
of  five  thousand  dollars  to  improve  and  beautify  the  campus. 

Plans  for  college  buildings  having  been  submitted  and  accepted, 
work  was  at  once  begun  on  Administration  Hall,  the  corner  stone  of  which 
was  laid  with  simple  but  appropriate  ceremonies,  August  12,  1903. 

From  that  time  on  the  work  steadily  progressed,  and  as  a  result 
there  stands  on  the  site  selected,  in  full  view  of  a  wide  stretch  of  country, 
one  of  the  finest  college  structures  in  the  Virginias. 

In  the  meanwhile,  a  faculty  was  elected  and  course  of  study  planned 
for  the  first  year.  The  work  of  the  college  formally  began  with  the 
opening  of  the  first  session,  September  21,  1904,  under  the  direction 
of  President  J.  E.  Hodgson.  Upon  the  resignation  of  President  Hodgson 
Rev.  F.  H.  Barren,  professor  of  Bible  and  Philosophy,  was  appointed 
acting-president  until  July,  1906,  when  Professor  Marshall  C.  Allaben  of 
the  Department  of  Ancient  Languages,  the  present  encumbent,  became 
president. 

The  site  of  the  college  is  the  choicest  in  this  beautiful  country.  The 
campus  is  a  tract  of  land  of  twenty-five  acres,  lying  about  one-half  mile 
east  of  the  city  of  Elkins,  and  bordering  the  Tygarts  Valley  river.  Crown- 
ing the  loftiest  portion  of  the  campus  a  hundred  or  more  feet  above 
the  surrounding  country,  stands  Administration  hall,  a  handsome  red 
brick  structure,  trimmed  in  West  Virginia  sandstone.  It  is  three  stories 
in  height,  and  together  with  the  basement  furnishes  a  well  equipped  and 
convenient  home  for  the  college.  Just  at  the  foot  of  College  hill  stands 
the  President's  residence,  a  most  modern  and  up-to-date  building,  after 
an  adaptation  of  the  old  English  style  of  architecture.  On  all  sides  the 
mountains  rise  in  tiers  from  the  valley,  their  serried  summits  breaking 
the  horizon-line  in  a  manner  most  delightful  to  the  lover  of  nature.  A 
more  striking  sight  than  these  mountains  in  the  green  robes  of  spring,  or 
the  rich  blazonry  of  autumn,  cannot  be  imagined.  The  college  stands  at 
an  elevation  of  about  2,000  feet  above  sea  level.  The  beauty  of  the  scenery, 
and  the  freshness  and  invigorating  quality  of  the  atmosphere,  combine 
to  make  the  region  an  ideal  home  for  a  college. 

Near  the  college  is  the  town  of  Elkins  with  nearly  5,000  inhabitants, 
one  of  the  most  important  railroad  centers  in  the  State,  lying  at  the  in- 
tersection of  the  West  Virginia  Central  &  Pittsburg  Railway,  the  Coal  & 
Iron,  the  Huttonsville  and  Belingtori  extensions  of  the  West  Virginia  Cen- 


262  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

tral,  all  of  the  Wabash  system,  and  the  Coal  &  Coke  Railway.  Elkins  is 
59  miles  from  Grafton,  W.  Va.,  and  113  miles  from  Cumberland,  Md.,  at 
both  of  which  places  connection  is  made  with  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio 
Railroad,  and  150  miles  from  Ronceverte,  W.  Va.,  where  connection  is 
made  with  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Railroad.  It  may  now  be  reached  by 
direct  route  from  Charleston  over  the  Coal  and  Coke  Railroad.  Elkins 
is  therefore  one  of  the  most  accessible  towns  in  the  State  and  undoubted- 
ly the  most  centrally  located. 

Briefly  stated,  the  Davis  and  Elkins  College  has  been  "erected  for 
the  advancement  of  Christian  education."  Education  should  be  based  up- 
on the  fundamental  principles  of  the  Christian  religion,  and  so  the  Bible 
shall  have  place  in  the  curriculum  of  the  College,  but  no  sectarian  in- 
struction shall  be  given. 

Although  during  the  first  two  years  of  its  existence  the  College 
was  open  to  both  sexes,  the  Board  of  Trustees  at  its  annual  meeting 
February  1,  1906,  voted  to  restrict  the  attendance  to  males  with  the  be- 
ginning of  the  college  year  1906-1907. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  this  is  now  the  only  college  in  the  State 
exclusively  for  boys  and  young  men. 

In  its  curriculum  the  College  follows  the  so-called  "Group  System," 
which  permits  the  student  to  determine  the  general  direction  of  his 
study,  at  the  same  time  giving  him  the  benefits  of  a  carefully  planned, 
well-  rounded  and  consistent  curriculum.  Within  each  group  the  courses 
are  in  part  required  and  in  part  elective,  being  largely  elective  in  the 
Senior  year. 

In  connection  with  the  College,  the  Davis  and  Elkins  College  Pre- 
paratory School  is  maintained.  In  this  school,  four  courses,  Classical, 
English  Classical,  Scientific,  and  Commercial  are  offered,  the  first  three 
being  four-year  courses  and  being  so  arranged  as  fully  to  prepare  students 
for  any  college  01  technical  school  in  the  United  States.  At  present,  the 
Preparatory  School  uses  the  dormitories  and  lecture  rooms  of  the  College, 
but  it  is  the  aim  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  to  provide  separate  equipment, 
as  well  as  separate  organization,  for  this  department. 


Stephenson  Seminary. 

Stephenson  Seminary  located  at  Charles  Town,  W.  Va.,  is  said  to  be 
the  oldest  private  school  for  girls  within  the  bounds  of  the  State.  Un- 
der the  name  of  "Mt  Parvo  Institute,"  it  was  founded  in  1882  by  Rev.  C. 
N.  Campbell,  D.  D.,  a  minister  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

As  the  accommodations  at  Mt.  Parvo  were  inadequate  to  the  needs  of 
the  growing  institution,  arrangements  were  made  whereby  a  joint  stock 
company  erected  a  large  brick  building  on  grounds  donated  for  educa- 
tional purposes,  by  the  late  John  Stephenson,  and  in  honor  of  its  generous 
donor,  it  was  called  Stephenson  Seminary. 

Dr.  Campbell  was  a  life-long  educator,  an  alumnus  of  Princeton  Uni- 
versity and  a  graduate  from  the  Union  Theological  Seminary,  now  of 


WEST  VIRGINIA  263 

Richmond,  Va.  Immediately  preceding  the  establishment  of  Stephenson 
Seminary,  Dr.  Campbell  was  principal  of  Andrew  Small  Academy,  a  board- 
ing school  for  boys,  situated  in  Darnestown,  Md.  In  the  summer  of  1905, 
Dr.  Campbell  died,  leaving  to  his  successors  (his  wife  and  daughter)  a 
full  appreciation  of  the  importance  and  responsibility  of  female  educa- 
tion. 

Stephenson  Seminary  claims  for  herself  no  phenomenal  growth, 
but  with  varying  fortune,  she  has  carved  her  own  unaided  way  to  success, 
and  is  today  better  equipped  for  the  work  to  which  she  is  consecrated 
than  she  has  ever  been.  The  building  is  thoroughly  attractive  and  com- 
fortable, furnished  with  gas  and  electricity,  steam-heat,  and  hot  and  cold 
bath. 

The  school  stands  for  Christian  influence,  thorough  work,  and  a 
home  life  of  culture  and  refinement.  It  has  the  confidence  of  the  public 
and  has  for  friends  and  patrons  many  of  the  foremost  men  of  our  land. 

The  present  accommodations  are  taxed  to  the  utmost  limit,  and 
plans  are  under  way  for  additional  buildings. 


The  Beckley  Seminary. 

BY  PRINCIPAL  B.  H.  WHITE 

The  Beckley  Seminary  is  located  at  the  court  house  of  Raleigh  coun- 
ty on  the  lofty  Raleigh  plateau  2500  feet  above  sea-level.  The  building 
is  surrounded  by  the  beautiful  White  pines  so  mush  praised  by  the  poets. 
The  -school  opened  in  1900  with  thirty-seven  students  occupying  rented 
rooms.  Last  year  (1905-6),  the  enrollment  was  between  three  and  four 
hundred,  the  school  occupying  its  own  building  and  grounds.  It  main- 
tains a  library  of  the  best  books  for  general  reading  and  reference.  The 
P.  C.  and  P.  R.  Railroad  has  built  a  new  depot  within  a  square  of  the 
building — the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  and  Deepwater  run  close.  These 
and  other  material  developments  tend  to  encourage  and  aid  the  school. 

The  Beckley  Seminary  is  co-educational  and  inter-denominational.  It 
opposes  sectarianism.  Its  faculty  is  selected  on  the  basis  of  ability  and 
not  because  of  a  peculiar  religious  faith.  Students  of  all  religious  beliefs 
or  of  no  religious  belief  at  all  are  made  to  feel  at  home.  All  we  ask,  is 
that  the  student  be  a  gentleman  or  a  lady.  The  school  is  unpretentious, 
it  claims  only  to  be  a  preparatory  school  whose  work  is  accredited  in  all 
the  colleges  and  universities  of  this  part  of  the  country. 

This  school  maintains  seven  courses;  viz.  Preparatory  (for  its  own 
work),  Normal,  Commercial,  Shorthand  and  Typewriting,  Music,  Elocu- 
tion and  Physical  Culture,  and  Academic.  Ex-Senator  John  W.  McCreery 
is  President,  and  Thomas  H.  Wickham,  Esq.,  is  Vice-President.  The  school 
is  self-supporting  with  its  tuition  rates.  We  have  outgrown  our  build- 
ing and  we  are  now  planning  to  enlarge. 


264  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 


INSTITUTIONS  FOR  THE  EDUCATION  OF 
COLORED  YOUTH. 


Storer  College. 

BY    HENRY    T.    M'DONALD,    PRESIDENT. 

During  the  last  year  of  the  War  there  was  attached  to  the  Christian 
Commission  of  Sheridan's  Army  a  young  man  just  graduated  from  Dart- 
mouth College.  His  duties  gave  him  considerable  knowledge  of  the 
prevailing  conditions  and  heavy  responsibilities,  resulting  from  the  care 
of  soldiers,  supplies  and  money,  were  his.  This  young  man  was  Rev. 
Nathan  C.  Brackett.  As  soon  as  hostilities  had  ceased  the  General  Gov- 
ernment made  him  superintendent  of  all  schools  to  be  established  for  the 
freedmen  in  the  Shenandoah  valley  and  he  immediately  began  the  work 
intrusted  to  him.  It  was  while  he  was  thus  employed  that  Mr.  John 
Storer  of  Sanford,  Maine,  signified  a  desire  to  give  ten  thousand  dollars 
toward  the  founding  of  a  school  for  colored  people.  The  gift  was  condi- 
tioned on  an  equal  amount's  being  raised  by  others  in  a  limited  time. 
Such  condition  was  soon  met  and  Storer  College  was  a  reality.  Since 
this  money  was  pledged  largely  by  Free  Baptists,  they  as  a  denomina- 
tion immediately  set  about  finding  a  proper  location  for  the  proposed 
school.  At  Harper's  Ferry  were  four  badly  dismantled  houses  belonging 
to  the  Government,  which  prior  to  the  war  had  been  occupied  by  the  Su- 
perintendent of  the  Government  Work,  by  his  chief  clerk,  by  the  paymas- 
ter and  by  his  chief  clerk.  The  cooperation  of  Congress  was  sought  and 
obtained  largely  through  the  influence  in  the  House  of  Gen.  James  A. 
Garfield,  afterward  President,  and  William  Pitt  Fessenden  in  the  Senate. 
A  bill  was  passed  by  Congress  transferring  to  the  trustees  of  Storer  Col- 
lege the  above  mentioned  houses,  and  in  one  of  these,  "The  Lockwood", 
the  work  of  Storer  College  was  begun,  October  2,  1867.  On  that  day  there 
was  present  a  faculty  of  two  teachers,  Professor  and  Mrs.  Brackett,  and 
nineteen  earnest  students.  From  this  small  beginning  the  school  has 
gradually  developed.  It  has  always  been  limited  in  the  amount  of  good 
it  might  do.  But  what  it  has  done  has  been  accomplished  with  an  eye 
single  to  the  development  of  sensible,  thrifty,  Christian  manhood  and 
womanhood.  For  many  years  Storer  was  the  only  institution  of  its  kind 
in  West  Virginia  and  it  supplied  a  large  percentage  of  the  teachers,  min- 
isters, and  colored  leaders  of  this  state.  It  is  no  less  active  to-day  and 
the  demand  for  Storer  men  and  women  is  increasing. 


WEST  VIRGINIA  265- 

THE  ALUMNI. 

About  two  hundred  and  fifty  have  graduated  from  the  various  courses. 
Of  these  not  one  per  cent,  have  so  lived  as  to  reflect  dishonor  upon  them- 
selves and  disgrace  on  their  alma  mater.  Some  of  our  leading  colored 
lawyers,  physicians,  teachers,  editors,  clergymen,  not  to  mention  the  less 
distinguished  but  no  less  honorable  members  found  in  the  humbler  walks 
of  life,  are  our  alumni.  Storer  men  and  women  have  served  and  are 
serving  from  the  highest  positions  downward  on  the  faculties  of  a  number 
of  institutions  of  higher  grade.  Our  graduates  have  successfully  com- 
pleted degree  courses  at  nearly  or  quite  a  dozen  high  grade  colleges  and 
universities.  They  have  in  a  very  high  percentage  of  cases  been  wise, 
conservative  leaders  of  their  people. 

Besides  the  graduates  probably  more  than  fifteen  hundred  men  and 
women  have  attended  Storer  and  been  touched  by  its  wholesome,  Christian 
spirit. 

EQUIPMENT. 

The  college  buildings  named  in  the  order  of  their  erection  are  Lin- 
coln Hall,  Myrtle  Hall,  Anthony  Memorial  Hall,  Sinclair  Cottage,  DeWolfe 
Industrial  Building.  Curtiss  Memorial  Church,  Lewis  W.  Anthony  In- 
dustrial Buildnig.  Beside  these  are  the  barn,  tool  shed,  corn  crib  and 
various  outbuildings.  Lincoln  Hall  was  erected  by  means  of  funds  con- 
tributed by  the  Freedman's  Bureau.  It  is  a  dormitory  for  young  men, 
accommodating  about  50  people. 

Myrtle  Hall  was  erected  from  funds  collected  largely  by  the  Woman's 
Missionary  Society  of  the  Free  Baptist  Church.  It  accommodates  about 
60  girls.  In  the  basement  of  this  hall  is  the  laundry. 

Anthony  Memorial  Hall  in  which  is  the  chapel,  library,  recitation 
rooms,  dining  hall,  was  given  by  Mr.  L.  W.  Anthony,  of  Providence,  R.  I. 

Sinclair  Cottage,  a  dormitory  for  girls,  was  added  to  the  group  of 
buildings  through  the  munificence  of  Rev.  and  Mrs.  J.  L.  Sinclair,  of  New 
Hampshire.  It  will  accommodate  18  girls. 

DeWolfe  Industrial  building,  in  which  the  Department  of  Cooking  is 
located,  was  presented  by  Mrs.  Mary  P.  DeWolfe,  of  Illinois. 

Curtiss  Memorial  Church  stands  a  monument  to  the  untiring  zeal 
of  Rev.  Silas  P.  Curtiss,  in  whose  memory  it  was  erected. 

Lewis  W.  Anthony  Industrial  Building,  in  which  is  done  the  work 
in  carpentry,  upholstering,  blacksmithing,  painting,  was  given  to  the 
College  by  the  heirs  of  Mr.  Anthony. 

These  buildings  have  a  magnificent  location  on  Camp  Hill,  which  ia 
between  the  gorges  of  the  Potomac  and  Shenandoah  and  commands  a 
beautiful  view  of  the  famous  water  gap.  It  was  of  this  place  and  its 
wonderfully  beautiful  scenery  that  President  Jefferson  made  his  famous 
remark  that  it  was  worth  a  trip  across  the  Atlantic  to  behold  what  nature 
had  done  here.  The  college  has  a  good  library  of  over  5,000  volumes  and 
about  20  acres  of  gardens,  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  The  total 
equipment  including  buildings  and  apparatus  is  easily  worth  $100,000. 


266  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

CHARACTER. 

The  school  is  wholly  unsectarian  as  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  on  its 
faculty  are  members  of  the  Free  Baptist,  Methodist  Episcopal,  Method- 
ist Protestant,  Protestant  Episcopal  churches.  It  admits  students  of  all 
•denominations  and  beliefs. 

There  is  nothing  in  the  charter  of  the  school  which  places  it  sub- 
ject to  the  control  of  any  particular  denomination.  Honever,  in  the  sup- 
port of  the  school  during  all  its  years  of  existence  the  Free  Baptist 
Church  has  given  a  most  helpful  and  honorable  assistance.  Had  their 
support  been  withdrawn  the  school  would  have  been  most  unfortunately 
situated.  It  now  receives  support  from  the  same  source;  from  an  en- 
dowment of  about  $30,000  and  from  an  annual  appropriation  from  the 
«tate.  In  return  for  this  appropriation  the  school  gives  free  books,  room 
rent  and  tuition  to  all  West  Virginia  students.  Our  Normal  graduates 
receive  the  regular  State  Normal  Diploma,  and  thus  the  school  is  semi- 
officially a  part  of  the  state  school  system. 

COURSES. 

The  courses  offered  are  Academic,  State  Normal,  Vocal  and  Instru- 
mental Music,  Carpentry,  Gardening  and  Husbandry,  Sewing  and  Dress- 
making, Cookery,  Blacksmithing,  Drawing,  Biblical  Literature. 

All  students  do  work  in  the  Industrial  Courses,  they  being  so  con- 
nected with  the  Normal  Courses  that  each  supplement  the  other.  The 
women  students  must  complete  two  industrial  courses  before  graduation 
and  on  Commencement  Day  appear  in  gowns  they  have  made  in  class. 

The  young  men  must  likewise  complete  two  courses  in  the  Industrial 
Departments  before  graduation. 

Thus  excellent  manual  and  industrial  training  is  given  and  a  gen- 
uine respect  for  work  and  joy  in  doing  it  is  implanted  in  our  students. 

ENROLLMENT. 

At  present  six  states  besides  the  District  of  Columbia  are  represented 
in  the  student  body.  The  enrollment  for  the  past  three  years  has  quite 
rapidly  increased.  This  year  especially  has  been  marked  by  a  very  large 
increase  of  students.  We  have  been  obliged  to  rent  one  house,  the  Frank- 
lin Cottage,  for  girls  and  place  several  in  reliable  families  in  town.  This 
year  there  was  the  largest  enrollment  on  the  opening  day,  the  largest 
average  attendance  and  the  largest  enrollment  of  women  in  the  history 
of  Storer.  The  total  enrollment  for  the  year  will  be  fully  two  hundred. 


The  Colored  School  of  Huntington. 

BY  PRINCIPAL   J.   W.   SCOTT. 

The  colored  schools  of  Huntington  began  in  the  early  seventies  when 
the  city  was  in  its  infancy.  The  few  colored  people  who  formed  a  part 
of  the  small  population  had  been  brought  here  from  Virginia,  and  with 


WEST  VIRGINIA  267 

thousands  of  other  negro  laborers  were  employed  in  cutting  the  Chesa- 
peake and  Ohio  Railroad  through  the  mountains.  The  first  free  school 
for  them  was  opened  in  a  log  house,  out  on  the  Cemetery  Hill,  half  way 
between  Huntington  and  Guyandotte,  and  jointly  supported  by  both 
towns. 

Mrs.  Julia  Jones,  still  living,  was  the  teacher.  For  several  years 
the  school  ran  on  in  this  way  and  there  was  little  or  no  change,  except 
the  change  of  teachers,  the  grade  work  not  rising  above  the  level  of  a  dis- 
trict school. 

It  was  not  until  1882  that  any  marked  improvement  came  although  the 
school  had  been  removed  to  town.  In  that  year,  however,  a  second  room 
was  added.  Mr.  W.  F.  James  was  made  principal  and  his  wife  assistant 
teacher.  They  proved  to  be  efficient,  progressive,  and  inspiring  teachers. 

Mr.  James  graded  the  school  and  introduced  monthly  report  cards  with 
a  system  of  regular  promotion.  Within  four  years  a  first  class  grammar 
school  was  organized.  He  went  further  and  began  classes  in  Algebra. 
But  his  strength  was  not  equal  to  his  ambition.  His  health  gave  way 
under  his  heavy  duties  and  after  a  brief  illness  he  passed  to  "pathetic 
<lust",  bemoaned  by  the  entire  community  and  especially  by  his  pupils, 
many  of  whom  accompanied  the  body  to  its  last  resting  place  in  Gallipo- 
lis  Ohio.  Several  of  his  pupils  afterward  graduated  from  other  schools; 
"but  they  remember  him  as  the  chief  inspiration  of  their  lives.  Mrs.  Susie 
James  continued  teaching  twelve  years  longer  and  became  known  as  one 
of  the  best  primary  teachers  the  city  ever  had.  Her  health  finally  failed 
and  in  1899  she  joined  her  lamented  husband. 

The  school  continued  to  advance  under  Mr.  James*  successors,  Mr. 
Ramsey  and  Mr.  J.  B.  Cabell.  But  under  Prof.  W.  T.  McKinney  who 
was  elected  principal  in  1889  the  third  stage  in  the  development  of  the 
schools  was  reached.  During  his  stay  the  Douglass  School,  a  brick 
building  of  six  rooms  with  all  modern  improvements,  was  erected  at  the 
corner  of  8th  avenue  and  16th  street,  and  opened  in  1893.  The  building 
and  lot  cost  about  $15,000.  A  high  school  course  was  established.  A  class 
of  three  graduates  (the  first)  was  turned  out  from  the  high  school  de- 
partment that  year.  The  number  of  teachers  increased  from  three  to  five. 
The  High  School  course  covered  two  years'  work. 

The  Douglass  High  School  has  had  four  principals  since  then  Mr. 
C.  H.  Barnett,  was  principal  from  1897  to  1900.  He  raised  the  course 
to  four  years.  Mr.  C.  G.  Woodson  served 'from  1900  to  1903.  Under  him 
the  course  dropped  to  three  years.  Prof.  R.  P.  Sims  was  principal  from 
1903  to  1906.  He  restored  the  four-year  course  and  did  much  toward  im- 
proving the  tone  of  the  school  generally.  His  resignation  caused  general 
regret. 

The  present  principal,  J.  W.  Scott,  has  been  connected  with  the  high 
school  every  year  since  1899,  except  one  year  which  was  spent  at  col- 
lege, completing  a  course  of  study.  He  is  also  president  of  the  West  Vir- 
ginia Teachers'  Association  of  Colored  teachers. 

Nine  classes  in  all  have  come  out  numbering  forty-three  graduates — 
twenty-four  young  women  and  nineteen  young  men.  Three  of  these  have 
died,  one  of  whom,  I.  Leonard  Scott,  was  principal  of  the  Langston  High. 


268  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

School,  Point  Pleasant,  at  the  time  of  his  death.  Fourteen  are  engaged 
in  teaching.  In  short,  all  the  graduates  have  led  useful  lives.  Lloyd 
O.  Lewis  who  finished  his  college  course  last  year  and  who  is  now  pursu- 
ing a  theological  course,  is  an  especially  promising  alumnus  of  the  class 
of  1902. 

The  school  has  no  laboratory  but  is  otherwise  supplied  with  appli- 
ances besides  a  library  of  400  volumes,  and  an  organ.  There  is  ample 
play  ground  with  shade  trees  all  around.  The  Board  of  Education  is  lib- 
eral in  its  policy. 

In  1906  the  total  number  of  colored  youth  enumerated  was  490.  The 
present  enrollment  (Jan.,  1907.)  is  268.  The  term  is  nine  months.  The 
salaries  range  from  $42.50  to  $65.00.  All  the  colored  teachers  teach  on 
No.  1  certificates  issued  by  the  city  board  of  examiners. 

The  school  has  always  had  a  strong  corps  of  grade  teachers.  De- 
serving of  especial  mention  are  Miss  Leota  Moss,  Miss  Mary  F.  Norman, 
Miss  Bertha  Morton  (deceased),  and  Miss  Frances  Morton. 


Parkersburg  Colored  Schools. 

BY    J.    RUPERT    JEFFERSON,    PRINCIPAL. 

The  history  of  the  colored  schools  is  unique  in  at  least  two  particu- 
lars: The  first  free  schools  in  the  city  of  Parkersburg  were  for  colored 
children  and  supported  by  the  private  funds  of  colored  men;  the  first 
public  schools  south  of  Mason  and  Dixon's  Line  for  colored  youth  were  in 
this  city.  These  two  statements,  according  to  the  best  evidence  at  hand, 
seem  to  be  settled  beyond  question. 

On  the  first  Monday  in  January,  1862,  a  number  of  the  best  colored 
men  in  this  city  met  to  advise  ways  and  means  for  the  instruction  of  col- 
ored children.  An  organization  was  perfected,  a  constitution  and  by-laws 
framed.  A  board  consisting  of  Robert  Thomas,  Lafayette  Wilson,  Wm. 
Sargeant,  R.  W.  Simmons,  Charles  Hicks,  William  Smith  and  Matthew 
Thomas  was  elected  to  carry  out  the  provisions  of  the  organization.  A 
school  was  established  to  which  all  colored  children  were  admitted.  Those 
who  were  able  to  pay  it  were  charged  one  dollar  a  month  tuition,  but  those 
who  were  not  able  were  admitted  free.  Among  the  first  teachers  were 
Sarah  Trotter  and  Pocahontas  Simmons,  both  colored,  and  Rev.  S.  E.  Col- 
burn,  a  white  man.  The  first  school  enrolled  about  forty  pupils.  From 
that  time  to  the  present,  the  colored  youth  of  this  city  have  enjoyed  school 
privileges. 

In  the  Weekly  Times,  a  paper  published  here  of  date  June  7,  1866, 
appears  the  following  notice: 

"The  first  public  free  school  for  the  colored  children  of  the  city  of 
Parkersburg,  West  Virginia,  was  opened  in  the  school  ward  lately  re- 
moved. All  colored  children  over  6  years  of  age  and  under  21,  as  the 
law  directs,  are  at  liberty  to  attend  and  are  requested  to  do  so.  Rev.  S.  E. 
Colburn,  Teacher." 


WEST  VIRGINIA  269 

With  this  notice  probably  dates  the  beginning  of  the  public  schools  for 
•colored  children  under  the  provisions  of  the  Constitution  of  the  State,  a 
time  four  years  later  than  when  colored  schools  began.  After  this  the 
organization  formed  in  1862  ceased  to  exist  and  the  colored  schools  have 
been  under  the  same  Board  of  Education  as  the  white  schools. 

The  last  session  of  the  colored  schools  under  the  original  plan  ended 
with  a  school  exhibition,  in  1866,  by  colored  pupils  in  Bank  Hall  under  the 
charge  of  the  teacher,  T.  J.  Ferguson. 

The  colored  schools  struggled  along  overcoming  many  obstacles  for  ten 
or  more  years,  when,  with  the  appointment  of  a  superintendent  for  all  the 
schools,  the  course  of  instruction  was  improved,  the  work  of  the  teachers 
inspected  and  the  schools  placed  upon  a  better  footing. 

For  some  years  the  colored  schools  have  had,  so  far  as  text  books, 
supervision  and  course  of  instruction  are  concerned,  the  same  opportuni- 
ties as  the  white  schools.  The  improved  condition  in  the  colored  schools  is, 
generally  recognized.  After  completing  the  same  primary  and  grammar 
course  as  in  the  white  schools,  the  pupils  take  up  algebra,  general  history, 
geometry,  civil  government,  physical  geography,  physics,  rhetoric  and  lit- 
erature. A  general  review  in  the  advanced  work  of  the  common  branches 
is  also  given,  and  when  the  course  is  completed  a  teacher's  certificate  or  a 
diploma  is  given,  as  the  Board  of  Education  may  determine. 

For  several  years  the  High  School  for  colored  youth  in  this  city  was 
the  only  one  in  the  State.  The  first  class  was  graduated  and  given  di- 
plomas in  1887  and  every  year  since  then  except  1890  and  1892  there  have 
been  graduates.  The  total  number  of  graduates  is  23. 

The  colored  school  building  is  a  brick  structure  of  four  rooms,  on 
Avery  street,  near  Tenth.  The  building  was  originally  two  rooms,  but  was 
enlarged  in  1883  to  its  present  size. 

As  has  been  stated,  the  original  plan  of  the  schools  changed  in  1866 
during  the  administration  of  T.  J.  Ferguson,  a  man  who  was  at  that 
time  a  leading  character,  not  only  in  educational  circles,  but  in  the 
politics  of  the  country,  justly  ranked  with  Bruce  Langston,  Lynch,  Small, 
and  Douglass,  that  brilliant  coterie  of  colored  men  who  in  tlxeir  day  and 
generation  laid  the  foundation  for  the  enjoyment  of  the  fuller  oppor- 
tunities which  colored  people  of  the  nation  possess  to-day. 

The  work  of  J.  L.  Camp  extended  through  a  period  of  about  eleven 
years.  During  his  administration  there  were  but  few  if  any  of  the  higher 
branches  taught.  He  was  a  man  of  sterling  character  and  though  long 
since  passed  to  his  reward,  his  work  is  still  going  on  and  he  is  still 
remembered  by  the  community  in  which  he  spent  so  many  years  of 
faithful  tbil. 

"The  Sumner  High  School,"  by  which  name  the  school  is  now  known, 
was  established  in  1886.  A.  W.  Peques,  of  Richmond  Theological  Insti- 
tute was  its  first  principal.  He  was  a  man  of  many  scholarly  attainments 
and  an  excellent  teacher.  He  remained  but  one  term,  however,  resigning 
to  accept  a  chair  in  a  university  of  North  Carolina.  He  has  since  become 
an  author  of  considerable  note.  He  was  succeeded  by  T.  D.  Scott,  of 
Wilberforce  University,  who  remained  in  charge  five  years  and  suc- 
ceeded in  building  up  a  strong  course  of  study  .  He  resigned  in  1892  to 


270  •  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

accept  the  chair  in  natural  sciences  at  his  alma  mater.  Mr.  Scott  was  fol- 
lowed by  C.  H.  Barnett,  of  Denison  University,  who  remained  but  one 
year.  He  in  turn  was  succeeded  by  John  R.  Jefferson,  of  Pomeroy,  who- 
took  charge  in  the  autumn  of  1893.  He  held  the  position  for  nine  con- 
secutive years.  During  his  administration  the  enrollment  reached  its  high- 
est point,  and  the  school  was  in  a  flourishing  condition.  He  resigned  in 
1902  and  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  B.  S.  Jackson,  of  Howard  University, 
Washington,  D.  C.  In  1905  Mr.  Jackson  vacated  the  position,  which  was 
again  filled  by  the  appointment  of  John  R.  Jefferson,  the  present  principal. 

A  handsome  new  building  of  six  rooms  is  now  being  erected,  which  will 
be  ready  for  occupancy  by  March  first.  It  is  provided  with  all  modern  im- 
provements and  equipments,  and  will  be  perhaps  the  best  school  build- 
ing for  colored  pupils  in  the  state.  When  this  building  is  occupied  one 
additional  teacher  will  be  employed. 

The  future  of  the  colored  schools  seems  no  less  bright  than  that  of 
the  other  schools  and  the  education  of  the  colored  race  promises  as  suc- 
cessful results  in  this  city  as  anywhere  else  in  the  United  States. 


Clarksburg  Colored  Schools. 

BY    J.    W.    ROBINSON,    PRINCIPAL. 

The  following  is  a  brief  sketch  of  the  Colored  Department  of  what  is 
known  as  the  Clarksburg  Independent  School  District  of  Harrison  county, 
West  Virginia. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Education  of  the  above  named  school 
district  July  15,  1868,  a  bid  of  $1147  was  accepted  for  the  erection  of  a  one- 
story  brick  building  to  be  used  as  a  school  building  for  the  freedmen  of 
Clarksburg  Independent  School  District.  The  building  was  completed  in 
time  to  be  occupied  at  the  beginning  of  the  school  year  of  1870. 

To  meet  the  demands  of  a  growing  population,  and  to  afford  educa- 
tional facilities  commensurate  with  the  advancement  of  the  present  age, 
the  Board  of  Education  at  a  regular  meeting  in  1900,  arranged  for  the 
erection  of  a  three-story  brick  building  upon  a  lot  which  had  been  pur- 
chased on  Water  Street.  • 

The  building  and  equipment  cost  almost,  if  not  quite  $20,000.  The  con- 
tract for  the  erection  of  this  modern  building  was  awarded  to  Mr.  C.  D. 
Ogden,  Sr.,  a  colored  contractor  of  Clarksburg,  now  deceased. 

The  building  contains  six  large  recitation  rooms,  an  office,  four  base- 
ment rodms,  and  one  of  the  finest  school  assembly  halls  in  the  state,  and 
it  is  provided  with  all  modern  conveniences.  This  building  was  occupied: 
In  January,  1902. 

The  course  of  study  contains  eight  grades  and  a  three-year  high 
school  course.  Those  who  complete  the  high  school  course  are  given  di- 
plomas, upon  the  approval  of  the  faculty  and  the  Board  of  Education. 

The  first  class  to  graduate  from  the  high  school  department  was  in 
1895.  During  the  succeeding  eleven  years  ten  males  and  thirty  females 
have  been  granted  diplomas. 


WEST  VIBGINIA  271 

The  colored  schools  are  under  the  same  management  and  control  as  the 
white  schools. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  principals: 

Charles  Ankrum,  1870-1873. 

Miss  J.  A.  Riley,  1873-1874. 

G.  F.  Jones,  1874-1876. 

W.  B.  Jones,  1876-1878. 

M.  W.  Grason,  1878-1889. 

J.  S.  Williams,  1889-1891. 

C.  W.  Boyd,  1891-1892. 

Sherman  H.  Guss,  1892  - 1901. 

J.  W.  Robinson,  1901  to  present  time. 

The  present  enrollment  of  the  colored  schools  is  a  little  less  than  200- 
pupils. 

Our  school  library  contains  470  books  classified  as  follows: 

Fiction,  209. 

Music,  46. 

History,  80.  « 

Poetry,  31. 

Reference,  39. 

Science,  10. 

Travel,  45. 

Biography,  10. 


Bluefield  Colored  Graded  School. 

BY  E.  L.  BANN,   PRINCIPAL. 

The  school  for  colored  people  in  Bluefield  was  organized  in  1890,  wheu 
Mr.  A.  J.  Smith  and  Mrs.  L.  O.  McGee  began  work  in  a  one-room  log  build- 
ing situated  in  what  was  known  as  Jamestown  suburb.  Though  lacking 
necessary  equipment  the  school  was  continued  here  during  two  sessions 
of  five  months  each,  when  it  was  removed  to  the  Cooperstown  suburb  to  a 
two-room  building  which,  while  not  so  comfortable  as  the  modern  ideal 
building,  was  a  great  improvement  upon  the  first. 

The  building  was  surrounded  by  dwelling  houses  situated  so  close 
that  there  was  no  room  for  a  play  ground  and  quarrels  between  the  pu- 
pils and  neighbors  were  frequent. 

The  school  was  continued  here  for  several  years  with  Mr.  S.  W.  Pat- 
terson and  Mrs.  E.  O.  Smith  as  teachers.  In  the  meantime  a  large  col- 
ored population  had  settled  in  North  Bluefield  and  upon  their  petition  the 
Board  of  Education  erected  a  two-room  building.  Here  in  one  room,  Mr. 
P.  J.  Carter  taught,  having  an  enrollment  of  about  thirty. 

A  little  later  the  building  in  Cooperstown  was  burned  and  two  addi- 
tional rooms  were  annexed  to  the  school  in  North  Bluefield,  but  before  it 
could  be  occupied,  that  too  was  burned. 

The  Board  of  Education  secured  an  old  building  which  had  been  used 
in  turn  as  a  bar,  a  pool  room,  and  a  court  house.  In  this  place  school  was- 


272  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

taught  for  one  session  after  which  a  brick  building,  primarily  intended 
for  a  store-room  and  dwelling  was  secured.  This  building  was  very  un- 
comfortable but  school  was  kept  here  for  four  years.  The  teachers  were 
now  four  in  number — Messrs.  H.  Smith  and  T.  P.  Wright  and  Mesdames 
Lane  and  E.  C.  Smith.  The  enrollment  was  125.  An  effort  was  now  made 
at  grading  the  school.  The  following  year,  Mr.  Smith,  Mr.  Wright  and 
Mrs.  Lane  were  replaced  by  Mr.  W.  A.  Saunders,  and  Misses  H.  W.  Booze 
and  R.  A.  McDonald.  Mr.  Saunders  remained  one  year  and  was  followed 
by  Mr.  G.  W.  Hatter,  who  in  turn  was  followed  by  Mr.  R.  F.  Douglas. 
During  his  administration  of  four  years,  the  Board  of  Education  erected 
the  present  six-room  frame  building  in  Cooperstown,  and  the  teaching 
force  was  increased  to  five.  By  giving  entertainments,  the  teachers  were 
able  to  purchase  for  the  school  an  organ  and  a  library  of  over  one  hun- 
dred volumes. 

In  the  spring  of  1906,  his  health  having  failed,  Mr.  Douglas  resigned 
and  Mr.  E,  L.  Rann,  of  Lincoln  University,  Pennsylvania,  was  chosen  as 
Principal  and  another  assistant  was  given  making  in  all  six  teachers. 

The  school  has  progressed  under  the  present  administration  and  is 
now  in  a  flourishing  condition. 

The  present  enrollment  is  307,  being  the  largest  in  the  history  of  the 
school.  It  should  be  larger,  but  many  from  the  Intermediate  and  Gram- 
mar grades  are  received  at  the  Bluefield  Institute,  making  it  difficult  to 
discipline  properly  and  to  retain  the  pupils  until  they  reach  the  eighth 
grade;  but  with  all  that,  we  hope  to  make  this  school  second  to  none  in 
the  State. 


Langs  ton  School  (Colored)  Point  Pleasant 

BY   L.    R.    JORDAN,   PRINCIPAL. 

In  the  year  1867  the  first  colored  school  of  Point  Pleasant  was  or- 
ganized, and  was  taught  by  Mr.  Eli  Coleman.  Mr.  Coleman,  who  died 
recently,  continued  to  teach  this  school  for  seven  years.  At  that  time  the 
school  house  was  a  one-roomed  frame  building  situated  at  the  east  end  of 
Sixth  street.  The  enrollment  at  the  opening  was  64,  some  of  the  pupils 
being  grown  men  and  women..  Many  years  later  as  the  town  increased  in 
population,  the  Independent  School  District  of  Point  Pleasant  was  cre- 
ated and  this  school  instead  of  being  under  the  control  of  a  board  of  three 
trustees,  two  white  and  one  colored,  became  a  part  of  the  city  system  of 
schools  under  the  control  of  the  Board  of  Education  of  the  district,  and 
under  the  supervision  of  the  city  superintendent  of  schools. 

The  names  of  some  of  the  earlier  teachers  are  as  follows:  Messrs. 
Brown,  Reckman,  Williams,  Misses  Lillie  Chambers,  Florence  Gee,  Fannie 
Smith,  and  Lida  Filch.  In  1885  two  teachers  were  given  the  school; 
L.  W.  Johnson,  Principal,  and  Miss  Hattie  Jordan.  Mr.  Johnson  taught 
as  principal  until  1890.  When  the  new  building  was  occupied  by  the 
white  pupils  in  1890,  the  four-roomed  brick  building  that  they  vacated  was 
turned  over  to  the  colored  pupils,  and  was  named  "Langston  Academy" 


- 


WEST  VIRGINIA  273 

in  honor  of  Hon.  Jno.  M.  Langston,  one  of  the  greatest  scholars  of  the 
negro  race. 

In  1895  the  first  class  was  graduated,  the  school  then  doing  work 
up  to  the  grammar  grade  only.  High  School  studies  were  introduced  in 
1897,  and  since  then  a  three-year  High  School  course  has  been  arranged 
by  the  present  superintendent.  In  1903  through  the  efforts  of  Mr.  I.  L. 
Scott,  Principal,  seconded  by  his  two  assistants,  Misses  Hattie  and  Bessie 
Jordan,  a  well  selected  library  of  125  volumes  was  secured  for  the  school. 
In  the  death  of  Mr.  Scott  during  the  middle  of  his  third  term  the  school 
suffered  a  severe  loss. 

In  the  summer  of  1905  the  building  was  thoroughly  overhauled  and 
repaired,  and  in  the  spring  following  the  teachers  and  pupils  united 
on  Arbor  Day  to  improve  the  building  and  grounds  by  planting  trees 
and  ivy. 


Weston  Colored  School. 

A  good  many  years  ago  Mr.  Benjamin  Owens  taught  a  school  for  col- 
ored children  in  an  old  church  house,  then  located  not  far  from  where 
the  Weston  Electric  Light,  Power,  and  Water  Company's  plant  stands 
now  at  the  head  of  Main  street  extended.  It  may  be  that  Doctor  Jordon's 
daughter  also  taught  school  in  that  building.  Mr.  Owens  had  at  one 
time  worked  for  Horace  Greely  in  a  printing  office  in  New  York.  Once 
while  he  was  teaching  in  Weston  he  learned  that  Mr.  Greely  was  billed 
for  a  public  address  at  the  Fair  Association  at  Clarksburg.  Being  very 
anxious  to  see  his  friend  and  hear  him  speak,  Mr.  Owens  adjourned  his 
school  for  a  time  and  walked  to  Clarksburg.  He  returned  next  day  by 
the  same  method  of  transportation  and  resumed  his  school  work. 

George  Jones,  who  afterward  engaged  in  the  ministry,  was  one  of  the 
most  influential  teachers  of  the  colored  school  in  Weston  but  he  believed 
that  there  was  a  much  greater  work  for  him  to  perform  among  his 
people  than  teaching,  and  could  not  be  persuaded  to  remain  in  that 
work  longer.  Misses  Hattie  Hood,  Grace  Rigsby,  and  Anna  Wells  each 
taught  one  or  more  terms  in  Weston.  W.  P.  Crump,  a  teacher  of  ability 
and  influence,  had  charge  of  the  school  for  a  few  years,  but  having  higher 
aspirations  he  left  for  other  fields  of  labor,  more  remunerative,  peihaps, 
than  that  of  the  "jolly  old  pedagogue."  Mr.  Frank  Jefferson  taught  sev- 
eral successful  terms,  but  seeing  nothing  better  ahead  than  the  very  low 
salary  paid  in  the  district,  he  also  gave  up  the  work  and  located  elsewhere. 

The  Board  of  Education  owns  a  very  pretty  lot  on  which  the  small 
brick  house  for  colored  children  is  located  on  lower  Center  street  in  a 
very  desirable  locality.  The  appearance  and  convenience  of  this  building 
has  been  much  improved  within  the  last  year  by  an  exchange  of  seats. 
The  old  seats  were  consigned  to  a  bonfire  and  new  patent  desks  of  latest 
model  are  now  used  in  the  building. 

A  library  was  started  a  few  years  since  for  the  colored  children,  but 
its  growth  has  been  retarded  by  lack  of  funds.* 


274  HISTOBY  OF  EDUCATION 

In  1898  Prof.  L.  O.  Wilson  was  employed  to  teach  the  colored  children 
of  the  district,  and  his  services  have  proved  so  satisfactory  that  the  board 
has  more  than  once  raised  his  salary  in  order  to  retain  him  in  the  posi- 
tion. Mr.  Wilson  has  been  offered  higher  wages,  but  he  says  the  people 
of  Weston  treat  him  so  kindly  that  he  would  rather  teach  for  less  money 
and  "feel  at  home,"  in  the  school  and  in  the  town. 


The  Growth  of  the  Colored  Schools  in  West 

Virginia. 

BY  BYBD  PBILLEBMAN,   A.    M.,   PBOFESSOB  IN   WEST  VIBGINIA   COLORED   INSTITUTE. 

In  1862  the  first  school  for  colored  children  organized  in  West  Vir- 
ginia, was  established  in  Parkersburg  by  seven  prominent  colored  men.  It 
was  known  as  a  "pay  school,"  but  indigent  children  could  attend  it  free 
of  charge.  It  was  merged  into  the  free  school  system  in  1867. 

The  first  Constitution  of  West  Virginia,  adopted  in  1863,  provided  for 
the  establishment  of  free  schols;  but  it  made  no  reference  to  the  colored 
youth  of  the  State.  However,  the  Legislature  passed  an  act,  February 
26,  1866,  providing  for  the  establishment  of  colored  schools  in  sub-districts 
containing  thirty  colored  children  between  the  ages  of  six  and  twenty-one 
years.  The  law  further  provided  that  these  schools  must  have  an  average 
attendance  of  fifteen  or  be  closed. 

In  1867,  this  law  was  amended  so  as  to  require  trustees  and  boards 
of  Education  to  establish  and  maintain  colored  schools  in  sub-districts 
containing  more  than  fifteen  colored  youth  of  school  age.  This  law  re- 
mained in  force  until  1899,  when  it  was  again  amended.  And  no.v  we 
have  the  following  special  law  in  reference  to  colored  schools:  'It  «lnll 
be  the  duty  of  the  trustees  of  every  sub-district  to  establish  therein  one  or 
more  primary  schools,  for  colored  persons  between  the  a.e:es  of  six  and 
twenty-one  years,  and  said  trustees  or  board  of  education  shall  establish 
such  school  whenever  there  are  at  least  ten  colored  persons  of  school  age 
residing  therein  and  for  a  less  number  when  it  is  possible  to  -.lo  so." 

When  the  constitution  was  revised  in  1872,  it  provided  that  white 
and  colored  persons  should  not  be  taught  in  the  same  school.  About  the 
same  time,  a  law  was  enacted  authorizing  the  State  Superintendent  of 
Free  Schools  to  make  arrangements  with  some  school  in  the  State  for  the 
normal  training  of  colored  teachers. 

Graded  schools  have  been  established  at  Point  Pleasant,  St.  Albans, 
Montgomery,  Lewisburg,  Eckman,  and  several  other  places.  High  schools 
have  been  established  in  Parkersburg,  Wheeling,  Huntingdon,  Charleston, 
and  Clarksburg. 

From  1866  to  1892,  Storer  College,  a  denominational  school  at  Harp- 
er's Ferry,  was  the  only  school  in  the  State  at  v^hich  the  colored  youth 
could  receive  academic  and  normal  training.  But  through  the  efforts  of 
Prof.  Byrd  Prillerman,  A.  M.,  Rev.  C.  H.  Payne,  D.  D.,  and  others,  the  Leg- 
islature established  the  West  Virginia  Colored  Institute  in  Kanawha 


WEST  VIRGINIA  275 

county,  in  1891.  This  school  was  established  to  meet  the  requirements  of 
the  Morrill  act  of  Congress  providing  for  the  establishment  of  Agricultural 
and  Mechanical  Colleges. 

In  1895,  the  Legislature  passed  an  act  establishing  the  Blaefield  Col- 
ored Institute  in  Mercer  county,  with  provisions  for  academic  training. 

In  the  summers  of  '90,  '91  and  '92,  Byrd  Prillerman  and  H.  B.  Rice 
conducted  a  summer  school  for  teachers  in  the  city  of  Charleston.  Thia 
school  was  discontinued  after  the  opening  of  the  West  Virginia  Colored  In- 
stitute, as  teachers  were  given  an  opportunity  to  review  in  the  spring  term 
at  this  institution. 

On  Thursday  the  26th  day  of  November,  189  L,  the  colored  teachers  of 
this  State  met  in  Charleston  and  organized  th-?  West  Virginia  Teachers* 
Association.  The  Association  meets  annually  on  Thanksgiving  Day.  The 
present  membership  is  eighty. 

White  and  colored  teachers  are  admitted  to  the  same  teachers'  insti- 
tutes, but  special  institutes  for  colored  teachers  are  conducted  by  one  of 
their  number  at  Storer  College,  the  West  Virginia  Colored  institute,  the 
Bluefield  Colored  Institute,  and  the  West  Virginia  Industrial  School, 

The  following  interesting  items  may  be  found  in  the  State  Superin- 
tendent's report  for  1906: 

Number  of  colored  school  youth  enumerated,  for  1906,  14,765. 

Number  enrolled,  9,874. 

Average  daily  attendance,  6,803. 

Common  schools 219 

Graded   schools    „ 42 

High  schools    5 

Total  number  of  public  schools  266 

Whole  number  of  colored  teachers  in  the  public  schools  for  this  year, 
310.  Total  amount  of  salaries  paid  to  these  teachers  for  the  year,  $71,- 
773.98.  Average  salary  for  the  year,  $231.53. 

There  are  colored  schools  in  only  38  of  the  55  counties  of  the  State. 
And  eight  counties  contain  150  of  the  266  schools  of  the  State  as  follows: 

Fayette  county,  51;  McDowell,  32;  Kanawha,  19;  Jefferson,  19;  Green- 
brier,  17;  Mercer,  14;  Berkeley  and  Monroe  9  each. 

Under  the  law,  teachers  are  paid  according  to  grade  of  certificate.  The 
law  fixes  the  minimum  salary  for  first  grade  teachers  at  $35  per  month; 
second  grade  at  $30  per  month,  and  third  grade  at  $25  per  month.  The 
minimum  length  of  term  is  five  months.  And  it  must  be  said  to  the  honor 
of  the  school  officials  that  absolute  fairness  is  shown  to  the  colored  teach- 
ers both  in  the  matter  of  examinations  and  salaries.  If  a  colored  teacher 
holds  a  first  grade  certificate,  he  is  paid  the  same  salary  as  a  white 
teacher  holding  the  same  grade  of  certificate.  If  a  colored  teacher  has  ten 
pupils  he  has  as  long  a  term  as  any  other  teacher  in  his  district.  For  in 
the  language  of  one  of  our  State  Superintendents,  "West  Virginia  knows 
no  such  thing  as  black  boys  and  white  boys  in  the  number  of  school 
days." 

When  one  compares  these  conditions  with  the  report  of  the  State 
Superintendent  of  Georgia  for  1902,  the  contrast  is  very  marked.  Ac- 


276 


HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 


cording  to  his  report,  the  average  monthly  salary  paid  white  teachers 
that  year  was  $36.72,  and  that  paid  colored  teachers,  $26.08.  The  high- 
est average  monthly  salary  paid  first  grade  white  teachers  in  any  county 
of  the  State  was  $GO,  and  the  highest  paid  first  grade  colored  teachers  was 
$40.  The  lowest  average  monthly  salary  paid  third  grade  white  teachers 
was  $13.93,  and  the  lowest  paid  third  grade  colored  teachers  was  $10  per 
month. 


DISTRICT  COLORED  SCHOOL  AT  INSTITUTE. 


INDEX. 


A. 

Academies,    list    of    37 

Apportionment   of   General    School    Fund    16 

Average  Local  Levy 9 

Attendance   Statistics    7 

Average  Daily  Attendance,  by  years 7 

B. 

Beckley   Seminary    263 

Bethany   College 246 

Benwood  Public  Schools  164 

Berkeley    County    105 

Berkeley  Springs  Public  School    165 

Bluefield  -  Colored  Institute 104 

Bluefleld  Public  Schools  167 

Broaddus  Classical  and  Scientific  Institute  27 

Brooke   County    106 

Buckhannon  Public  Schools 169 

Bluefield  Public  School    (colored)    270 

Board  of  Examiners,  State   3 

C. 

Cabell  County 107 

Calhoun   County    110 

Cameron  Public   School    172 

Ceredo    Public    School    173 

Clarksburg  Public   Schools    175 

Clarksburg  Public  School   (Colored)    269 

Cities   and   Towns 164 

Charleston   Public    Schools    178 

Charles  Town  Public  School    180 

Concord  Normal  School    v. 82 

Colored   Institute   at   Bluefield    104 

Colored  Institute,  The  West  Virginia  100 

Colored  Schools  in  West  Virginia,  Growth  of 273 

Cost  of  Education,  per  capita 10 

Cost  of  Education,  total  by  years   10 

County    Sketches    105 

Courses  of  Study  in  the  Normal  Schools 84 

Comparative   School   Statistics    .  6 


278  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

D. 

Davis  and  Elkins  College   260 

Deaf  and  Blind,  West  Virginia  School  for 91 

Denominational  and  Private  Institutions  246 

E. 

Early  Education  in  West  Virginia   19 

Educational   Institutions    3 

Education,  Cost  of  per  capita   10 

Education,  Cost  of  by  years  10 

Edgewood  Graded  School  181 

Elkins    Public    Schools    183 

Elk  Garden  Public  School   184 

Elm  Grove  Public  School    185 

Enumeration    and    Enrollment    3 

Enumeration  and  Enrollment,  by  years 7 

Expenditures  for  School  Purposes,  1906  2 

F. 

Fairmont    Normal    School    71 

Fairmont   Public   Schools    188 

G. 

General  School  Fund,  amount  distributed  by  years 11 

— Receipts  for  year  1904-5    13 

— Receipts  for  years  1905-6    14 

— Disbursements  for  years  1904-5  13 

— Disbursements  for  years  1905-6    14 

— Apportionment  for  years  1905-6   16 

Glenville  Normal  School   77 

Grant   County 112 

Growth  of  the  Colored  Schools  in  West  Virginia  273 

H. 

Hancock    County    113 

Hardy  County   115 

Harrison   County    116 

Harrisville  Public  Schools  191 

Huntington   Public   Schools    192 

Huntington   Public   School    (Colored)     265 

I. 

Industrial  Home  for  Girls    99 

Institutions  for  Education  of  Colored  Youth 263 

Introduction 1 

K. 

Kanawha  County    117 

Keyser,  History  of  Education  in  197 

Kingwood   Public   School 201 

Keyser,  Preparatory  Branch  of  University  at   65 


WEST  VIRGINIA  279 


Later    Progress    52 

Levy,  Average  Local  for  Building  Fund   9 

— for  Teachers'  Fund    9 

Lewisburg  and  its  Educational  Institutions   203 

Lincoln    County    120 

List   of   Early   Academies    37 

List  of  State  Superintendents   3 

M. 

Mannington  Independent  District    205 

Marlinton  Public  School    ; 208 

Marion   County    121 

Marshall  College  State  Normal  School   68 

Martinsburg   Public    Schools    209 

McDowell    County    122 

McMechen  Public  School    211 

Mercer   County 123 

Mineral    County    125 

Mingo    County    128 

Monongalia  County    129 

Monroe    County    131 

Morgantown  Public  Schools   212 

Morris  Harvey  College   , 252 

Montgomery,  Preparatory  Branch  of  University  at  63 

N. 

New  Cumberland  Public  School   213 

New  Martinsville  Public  School   214 

Nicholas    County    132 

Normal  Schools,  Courses  of  Study  in 84 

— Enrollment  and  Graduates  by  Schools    86 

— Total  Enrollment  by  years  90 

— Graduates  by  years    90 

Number  of  School  Houses  6 

Number  of  Schools    6 

O. 

Ohio  County   134 

P. 

Parkersburg  Colored   School    267 

Piedmont  Public   Schools    216 

Pleasants  County    135 

Pocahontas  County   137 

Powhatan   College    256 

Point  Pleasant  Schools  219 

Point  Pleasant  School   (Colored)    271 

Preface    .  1 


280  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION 

Preparatory  Branch  of  State  University  at  Montgomery 63 

Preparatory  Branch  of  State  University  at  Keyser 65 

Preston  County   138 

R. 

Randolph    County    139 

Ravenswood   Schools    221 

Reform  School,  The  West  Virginia   93 

Richwood    Schools    222 

Ronceverte  Public   Schools    224 

Ritchie  County    140 

S. 

Salaries  of  Teachers,  total  and  average  8 

Salem   College    255 

Salem   Public   School    226 

School  Fund,  The  General   (State  Superintendent's  Report,  1906) 12 

— Distribution  of,  by  years 11 

— Receipts  of  for  years  1904-5 13 

— Receipts  of  for  years  1905-6  14 

— Disbursements  of  for  years  1904-5   13 

— Disbursements  of  for  years  1905-6   14 

— Apportionment  of  for  years  1905  and  1906 16 

School  Fund,  the — Distribution  of  by  years .^ 11 

— Conditfon  of,  1906   ...7^.; 17 

— Investments    17 

— Loans  and  stocks 18 

Shepherd  College  State  Normal  School 79 

Shepherdstown   Public    Schools    229 

Shinnston  Public  Schools 230 

Sistersville   Public   Schools    227 

Spencer  Public  School    231 

State  Institutions    57 

Statistics,    Comparative    School    6 

St.   Albans  Public   School    231 

Stephenson  Female  Seminary   262 

Storer    College 263 

Summers  County   143 

Sutton  Public  School    232 

T. 

Taylor  County    147 

Teachers,   Number  of   8 

Teachers'  Salaries,  Average   8 

Term,  Average  Length  of  8 

Thomas  Public   School    233 

Transition   Period    48 

Tucker  County    148 

Tyler  County    ...                                                 149 


WEST  VIRGINIA  281 

U. 

Upshur  County  152 

W. 

Wayne   County    156 

Webster  County   158 

Wellsburg  Public  Schools    234 

West  Liberty  Normal  School 74 

Weston  Public  Schools   235 

Weston  Public  Schools    (Colored)    272 

West  Virginia  Colored  Institute  100 

West  Virginia  Industrial  Home  for  Girls 99 

West  Virginia  Reform  School   93 

West  Virgina  School  for  Deaf  and  Blind  91 

West   Virginia   University    57 

West  Virginia  Wesleyan  College  248 

Wetzel  County    159 

Wheeling  Public   Schools    239 

Williamson  Public  Schools    243 

Wyoming  County    161 

Wood   County    161 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


HAVlfc67~ 


Berkeley 


1  «387.1 


